The quiet of falling snow.
Parkas.
Snow boots.
Hearty soups.
Sledding.
Full body weekend dinners.
Cuddles to stay warm.
The delight of slightly longer days.
Snow fights with the kids.
Hibernation movies.
Roasted chestnuts.
The crunch under your feet of fresh snow.

Canada is taking Minnesota. It’s settled. Love everything about this. ‘Am I the only one seeing this?’.

📚Finished reading: Mundo Mendo by Luis Mendo. This was such a treat to start the new year on. Its the perfect book to read on a commute and I can’t wait for the next volume. It’s also definitely inspired me to collect my own writing and art into tiny little books.

Finch West LRT. Spent a considerable number of hours these last few years on this one. Plenty of anguish but glad Ryan made me make the pilgrimage to this line.

I’ve been reading Luis Mendo’s Mundo Mendo, Book One, which I have been really loving. At its very core, it’s a visual blog given form. He is of course an incredibly talented artist but the reflections and writing is in the style of a personal site, given form as a tiny little book that I get to carry with me in my jacket pocket.

This has lead me to putting the phone away on my commute to and from work and really just immerse myself in this ‘eccentric’ Spanish artist living in Japan.

This has got me thinking that a similar format for my short stories might be a really good fit. 50 words per A6 page, add some art or photos or sketches or whatever. It’s a new format for people wanting to disconnect from their phones.

I just sat there with Zane to do a simple art session. I said I was going to draw a face and he was going to draw a blob face. We just ran from there and kept going.

Inspiration exists, it just needs to find you working.

Thankfully I think I’m over the jet lag. First couple of days were rough - when I loose sleep I get mega impatient and just tend to loose my temper quickly. Had 48 hours there I am not proud of. Onwards and upwards.

🍿 Finished watching: Adolescence. What a show to ring in the new year. Incredible show but is that much more powerful for me as a father of tweens going on teens. After I watched the first episode I just had to finish it all in one go.

Every year I look to the 12 months ahead and make some insanely loft plan of the creative output that I want to achieve. Every year I make some progress, but it does always fall short of those plans. This year I think my plan is to have a set number of things that I want to achieve. I don’t need to achieve any of these, as they are hobbies, but they make me happy and publishing them at least makes it easier for me to focus on things I thought were pretty important for me.

Learning

• Last year I started working getting through the entire Proko Perspective course.
• I do want to find a novel writing course. I have ideas and a voice, but I don’t think I am stringing my words in the best way possible. I know I can do better.

Projects

1. Colours - Chapter #3. I am nearly done writing this chapter. It’s been a much larger chapter than I originally imagined, but it’s nice to have this one done.
2. Honest - Chapter #1. I want to start another short story. This one is actually a family story so looking forward to bringing it to life in any way.
3. A Simple Guide to the Construction Industry - Part 2. It’s strange that I am diving into part 2 without having published Part 1 yet, but that’s ok. This book practically writes itself for me and I can’t wait to share it as I think it will benefit a ton of people.
4. Moon Racket! - I don’t want to spend to much time thinking about scripts and stories for these characters. I don’t mind spending a little bit of time just having fun with these characters and drawing them in weird and wonderful ways.
5. Illustrations - I think drawing on a regular basis is good for me and something for myself and Zane to bond over. The first three projects will need some illustrations (or at least I want to provide a visual for each of them).

January reading pile.

🍿 Finished watching: Our Great National Parks Season 1. I certainly have my issues with Obama and the legacy (his support for the Israeli machine and his recent choice of words on the ‘people of Gaza’ he has left a bad taste in my mouth) but I enjoyed this series.

This site now is entering its 23rd year online. It’s wild to me that I’ve been able to make this habit stick. Micro.blog has played a crucial role in allowing me the space to do this.

My only regret is the fact that it took me a while to understand who I was ultimately writing for - primarily my future self, secondarily everyone reading this. In my early days, I was doing the opposite and it doesn’t make for great reading.

Thin Desires Are Eating Your Life

A thick desire is one that changes you in the process of pursuing it. A thin desire is one that doesn’t.

Fantastic concept for framing ‘desires’. It’s funny timing, but Notes on Being a Man just went through this same concept. Scott Galloway uses a different name for it (Slowpa). I like this better - via Kottke

I like Ben’s 2026 checklist. So here is mine:

• Wake up at 6am.
• Do my 5 Tibetans.
• Have my Greek yogurt and raisins/fruit in the morning.
• Salad or soup for lunch.
• Whatever I want for dinner. No fruit juices (except very, very occasionally).
• Read book/comic every day, even if it’s a few pages.
• Write 50 words a day. The project doesn’t matter, it’s the practice and habit which I love.
• Reflect on the day that just went by in my 5 year Hobonichi.
• Spend an hour with the kids, drawing or a creative project together.
• Go to bed at 10:30pm.

Ones that I am going to steal from Ben are:

• Communicate with a friend, even if it’s just a one-line text.
• Tell the people I love, that I love them.

Travelling with a family of four I’ve learnt a few important things that I need to have sorted ahead of the next trip:

1. Overear phones for the little ones. Even though there are free ones, they likely won’t fit in their earholes. I do need a replacement for my own - but that is a 2026 purchase (probably another Sony set).
2. 4G mini router. eSIMs are great and for countries with good telecommunications maybe that’s all you need. For all the other places you need something that will connect several devices under a single plan. There are a few other options that don’t even require a SIM, but these do seem a little more hit and miss.
3. Laundry bags (a large one for the kids and two smaller ones for Yasmine and myself). Got two of these from Amazon and they worked great. One for us and one for the kids
4. A sling bag of some description is a necessity. The bag you travel with will not be the one you use on a regular basis. I had a great Timbuk2 backpack but it’s too big as a daily driver.
5. Crocs. Showering and just getting around your new surroundings is an essential item.
6. Charger with multiple outputs. We have a metric ton of devices. iPads, iPhones, Nintendos, earphones - all need to be charged. Get one of these and solve the problem across multiple devices. Bring a smaller version with a few outputs and shorter cables for carrying around.
7. Aeropress for making coffee. This is a must for me. Quick to clean and all you need is a bag of beans (always good to try something local), hot water and milk. I’ve also purchased a mini digital scale that works perfectly and is tiny. I might look to invest in the travel version because it comes with the cup as well.
8. Take some laundry detergent with us. If we’re going to an apartment/airbnb it’s likely we might need to put in a wash (or two). Finding the right one that won’t give us a problem with sensitive skins.
9. I definitely need a neck pillow. We got a couple for the kids and they were able to get some sleep for a few hours without us being scared for them. A cool feature is that they fold in on themselves into a small pillow. Will see if there is an adult version with a similar feature for being super easy to carry.
10. Tote bag for the flight. We always end up getting something at the airport. If it’s not sweets for the office, it’s a few bottles of water for the flight.
11. A small screwdriver set (from Hoto) because there were a few times when I needed to screw something and didn’t have an alternative (think toys, glasses, etc).

🍿 Finished watching: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This was legitimately awesome. The soundtrack wasn’t as strong as the first, but the animation was amazing, and I’ve not been excited for the next instalment of a movie since Back to the Future.

A whirlwind of a trip. If I don’t get these thoughts somewhere, they will be lost:

• Lebanon is about family first and food second. Usually combined in family food events.
• The pleasant weather in the winter is a massive bonus and when it rains in Lebanon is pours like no other - probably a function of the water coming up from the Mediterranean and then hitting the mounts straight away.
• It can also be a sad place, with plenty of poverty, stupidity, exploitation and despair on full view. The children begging on streetlights were especially hard to see, with my two boys in the back seat.
• The traffic system is an absolute nightmare. It’s either non existent or irrelevant. The sheer density of the space makes it very difficult for things to function even slightly. It all just falls apart and it’s gridlock. At night, when I was driving a lot, you can sample the city in a different way. What would take you 30min normally takes you 5min.
• This then means that the air pollution is stifling. We ventured out for a walk once. We never repeated it again as we all felt the impact on our lungs in a big way, wishing for Canadian air.
• Travelling with kids (although a minor part of the journey), I’ve also learnt that we need to take a few specific things with us that makes our life a little bit. Overhead earphones and neck pillows are an absolute must.
• There is a ton of creativity within the Lebanese people, who refuse to let things stand fully as they are, but equally, there are some much more deep routed fundamental issues that can never be fixed through this type of organisation.

🍿 Finished watching: Sinners. I knew this was vampire related. I’m not a massive vampire lore fan but this had a 30 Days of Night vibe to it, except in the 1930s, mixed with blues. Great soundtrack.

Last of these photos sadly. This is Lebanese spaghetti - usually comes with pine nuts which my mother forgot this time. Instantly took me and my brother back to our home in Athens.

Goodbye Lebanon. That went by pretty damn fast.

Kibeh Bil Labban. Haven’t had this in nearly a decade..who knows, maybe more?

2025 iA Recap. Lovely recap of the year for iA. I’ve been on the fence about their notebook (because the price is insane) and haven’t dived into Presenter yet, but iA Writer is easily one of my favourite apps and that blue line always makes me smile.

🇱🇧 Kibeh and Tarator. I could eat these at every meal.

Booked our ride to the airport - while it’s been amazing seeming everyone I am starting to get itchy for my own route and creature comforts. Any time you leave for an extended period of time, you get to a point that it’s time to go back. Today I felt that.

Tabouleh (Saida style). Every region does it slightly differently. The little twist here is the inclusion of cucumbers.

🇱🇧 Hindbeh (dandelion greens). A-May-Zing.

The dish fully cooked. Warak Inab.

My absolute favourite dish in the entire world. A triumph of any cuisine.

It’s been a rough few days with Zane and his coughing, which at night gets worse and turns to vomiting what he ate in the evening. Four days on little sleep means we are pretty agitated.

My mood is messed up and the holiday has just turned a little sour for me. It’s been great seeing family and also enjoying good food but the price we’ve had to pay is (at the moment) to high. We have four more days to go here and back on a plane. In some ways it’s moved very quickly and in others it’s moved slowly.

Here are the books I finished reading in 2025.

This year was less than last year but it was very targeted. Some wonderful books in there but Unreasonable Hospitality was my favourite book with Daytripper as my favourite graphic novel (although there was some stiff competition).

Can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.

🎄 Merry Christmas everyone!

🍿 Finished watching: Klaus. Our go to Christmas movie. It’s one of my favourite things and 6 years after its release I still laugh and am sad all over again.

Notes on Being a Man. Somehow I wasn’t aware that Scott Galloway just released a new book.

The tagline is what hits hard (emphasis mine): ‘How to address the masculinity crisis, build mental strength and raise good sons.’

A pretty elegant Christmas tree.

Spent some time with my dad. It’s been a lifetime since we had that kind of interaction. He had to check up on his eyes, so I braved walking the Hamra.

It was fun afterwards had a little breakfast and he had his first ‘Latte’. He’s always liked milky coffee, just is used to making it using Arabic coffee and milk or a straight up frothy cappuccino.

🇱🇧 Didn’t take a photo because it was gone in seconds, but had our first chicken and lahmeh shawarma. Kids loved it as well - although not sure if they loved it more than souvlakis.

🇱🇧 Lebanon does a lot of things really well - food, culture, small family owned businesses and family.

It also does a lot of things really badly - air quality, noise, utilities (water/electricity/internet) and traffic.

🇱🇧 Chicken Masala pizza. The kinda thing you will only find here - at my brother-in-law’s sourdough bakery.

🇱🇧 A new variation on Manaeesh that I’ve never tried before. Grish Ebn Albalad.

🇱🇧 Mediterranean skies.

🇱🇧 Fasoulia.

🇱🇧 Kunafeh.

We went bowling today for the first time. They made me play with a handicap (using the smallest bowling ball) after my two strikes.

🇱🇧 Mougrabieh.

Jet lagged. Waking up regularly around 4am means I’ve been operating on some weird ass amounts of sleep at the moment. Still the quiet before the start of the day has always been one of my favourite things in the world.

🇱🇧 Pomegranate, rose water, clementines and lemons.

🇱🇧 Even the veggies taste more vibrant.

🇱🇧 Manoushi.

Travelling for nearly 24 hours with a family of four was brutal. Nothing was particularly difficult (except the delay getting out of Toronto) but in the aggregate all the different things add up.

In the moment, when you are 12 hours into your journey and all you want to do is have a meal, shower and sleep you say things like, ‘I don’t ever want to do this again’. But once the dust has settled and you’ve regained a little bit of your composure, you begin to reflect, ‘that wasn’t sooo bad, right?’

🇱🇧🍳

This site will turn into a bit of a food blog over the coming few weeks. Warak Inab Bil Zeit.

🛫 Awesome. Plane delayed by 2 hours and everyone is getting tetchy.

Great. Plane has been delayed by an hour….for some auxiliary motor? From the captain:

It’s the little motor that helps the bigger motor to starts…

Yasmine’s face dropped and she was like, ‘did I need to know this? No I did not.’

It’s been a really long time since I boarded a plane. It’s been nearly 6 years since we visited Lebanon.

• The ‘world’ didn’t know what covid was.
• I was heading to Denmark.
• Lebanon was in a state of chaos (but a completely different kind).
• My kids were closer to babies.
• Wearing cold gear was a novelty.
• My parents were younger. Seemingly much younger and at the start of their retirement years.

Let the holiday season begin.

Wake up to everything white.

Packing has begun. I always start with my backpack. Necessary documentation (for a family of four), notebooks/stationary, reading material, electronics. One thing I am really looking forward to is some crazy ass blogging in the coming month.

Procreate Dreams 2 looks like a pretty massive update. I never got the first version (an oversight more than anything else), but this just shows how the team at Savage Interactive shipped something, listened and updated it to make it better.

I don’t tend to take care of my shoes very often. The whole process takes me back when I was a kid and my dad would clean all his shoes on a Sunday. I loved the buffing process. Still do. The transformation is always like a magic trick.

🍿 Finished watching: Love the Coopers. Loved this movie. Great actors, great script. Great comedy moments.

My favourite song at the moment, …Baby one more time by Tenacious D - wait what?! Even the little addition ‘hit me baby but not so hard)’ is excellent.

📚 Finished reading: Blue In Green OGN by Ram V. Borrowed this from Carl. It was an intense and claustrophobic read (which I think is the whole point). Balancing between metaphysical and psychological it was a good read but I felt the rhythm of the story was not to my own personal liking. Stunning looking book however. Colours really stood out for me.

First time I see the two new lines on the subway map. Of course, I spent a decent amount of my life working on line 6 these last few years.

For the children, there is only one rule to the game, throw Onyx off the tree. For Onyx, the rule is also simple to understand but more difficult to execute, throw everyone else before they get to him first. The sheer size of the tree is accentuated during this game as the children run along the branches, they are suddenly more aware of their own size, it distracts some, who loose their footing and fall to the ground, playing themselves out of the game.

⚽ So Newcastle beat Everton by 4 goals, away and Manchester United can’t beat a 10 man Everton team at home. Right. I don’t even know why I bother watching United at the moment.

Came downstairs and Ryan is nattering away on his keyboards…but that sound was familiar. Of course, leave it to Ryan to hunt for the TTC theme song (the chime when a train arrives into a station) and learn it.

The wind is howling violently out there tonight. The weather is definitely locking at the moment. We had a good run this fall which lasted a little longer than expected.

While it feels like a high stakes game, it’s more about dominance against defiance. Onyx tends to keep to himself, however when confronted he refuses to cower away, even to his own detriment. The rest of the children swarm around him, but he’s wise to their advances. As quick as thought, Onyx leaps onto the tree and quickly scampers up. He allows himself a smile. The chase is on.

Time stretches further.
The colour of the leaves on the trees has almost completely drained away. The children are not quite adults, though their bodies have filled out and certainly look the part, their minds have still not developed to the same level. The games have become more elaborate and seemingly a little more cruel. They are chasing Onyx, who has found some success when the hunt is in the tree itself.

Shocked, Onyx can only utter one word, ‘Why?’. The other children cannot hear him, nor do not want to. They are seeing red in a way that children can, devoid of any self control. The shove takes Onyx by surprise; he looses his balance and falls to the ground. The angry children around him begin kicking the ground at him, sand starts flying everywhere and gets into his eyes. While the pain in his eyes stings, the feeling of isolation hurts a lot more.

🍸 Last year I went with a Black Russian as my holiday build up drink of choice. I’m back to the classic White Russian but made from Ontario ingredients this time.

I don’t usually do this, but what the hell is going on with Liverpool? I mean, 8 losses in 11 games…just incredible fall from grace. This is not slump, this is full on crisis. 🍿

🛞❄️ Winter tires went on today. Ready for the brutality that will be heading our way. So far into November it has been fine, nothing to complain about really.

It’s a mental game that I am loosing. When I finally realised the path to managing my weight better, I felt this was going to be a linear journey. It’s not panned out like that, having plateaued these last couple of months. I am definitely experiencing hunger in a different way these days, but I have noticed that this has coincided with me falling off a few very specific routines.

• I stopped doing my 5 tibetans every day. I don’t think this was on purpose, but it certainly has to do with the mess in the basement, but that’s just an excuse.
• My water intake has dropped. Again, there is no real excuse for this. Lemon water is an amazing drink and I really need to get back on that again.
• I’ve been introducing a little bit of bread back into my diet, which on its own isn’t the end of the world, but I definitely need to manage this so that it doesn’t become a habit again.
• Lunch is more often than not a salad of some description. Every once in a while I’ll treat myself to a Japanese something something.
• I have noticed that during the winter months, my body is also craving chocolate a little bit more.
• Finally while I have tried to limit my beer intake, I still manage to go through 3-4 cans a week.

But its generally very clear, I am eating about what I need to maintain my weight…except it is far from where I would like to be, so the plan is to put a little bit of extra effort over the coming months. I am still keen to achieve my target towards the end of March, it’s 5 months away and completely achievable.

13 days. That’s how long it took me to find my missing glove. I’m not going to lie there were several times in these last few days that I’ve come this close to throwing that lone glove as it stared at it me every time I entered the house. Thanks to Yasmine it actually survived.

📚 Finished reading: New World by David Jesus Vignolli. This was borrowed from Carl. I’d never heard of it, but the cover and colours drew me in instantly. It’s a good yarn, drawn uniquely. I was hoping for more historical fiction but was fun.

I’ve not been able to write as much on account of the fact that I have yet another exam. This time it’s for my engineering license here in Canada, Law and Ethics. Everyone, regardless of education or experience needs to take this exam, which I can get behind. Very colloquial, very country specific. Once it’s done I can get back to something a little bit more creative.

📚 Finished reading: 7 Rules of Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer. A timely book to be reading at the moment. Some concepts you can see in practice around you, but as always it is in how you put these rules into practice.

His happiness, as small and simple as it is, was short lived. Another group of kids arrives shortly after the first group. This group is not here to admire. This group is here to control. With a single glance at Onyx’s creation they have a primal and visceral reaction. It begins with Onyx being pushed out of the way, before they proceede to collectively trampling his sand structure. Only once they are all satisfied that no element of it remained do they turn their attention to its creator.

Today is one of those mega windy days. Totally takes me back to our time in Denmark when it was windy, rainy and grey. Ryan decided he really wanted to ride his bike. After maybe 2 minutes and a big gust of wind, he made an about turn and headed straight back home 🤣.

A small gaggle of curious kids approaches him to see what he’s built. The keep their distance but you can see a few fascinated by the way Onyx is manipulating and working with the sand and water in front of him. There is audible delight as he gently blows life into his creation, giving it a shimmering black gloss. Onyx is not used to an audience but this one time he allows himself to smile.

🎄 It happened, the very first, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year…’ was heard in a store today. The hotel I was at for the Healthcare Infrastructure conference put up their Christmas decorations yesterday. Feels a little early for me, but what do I know.

As he has become accustomed to this Onyx has chosen a spot further away from the rest of the children. He maintains some proximity to see what the other children are doing. It’s a mistake he will learn from. For the moment, Onyx focuses on the build in front of him. From the sand he is creating an intricate tower with sweeping curves and interconnected bridges.

The children are older now.

Their games have become a little bit more sophisticated. They are playing in the sandbox at the foot of the tree. Some kids and grabbing the sand, giving it their colour and releasing it in the air, forming a colourful cloud of sand for an instance before falling lifelessly back on the ground. Others are building intricate structures and giving them life through colour.

The colours manifested in different ways, some visible, some hidden. The most striking way was in the children’s eyes. For most of their infant lives, the children had smokey grey eyes. It was only when the children finally came of age and the colour of their eyes shone through. This also handily solved the question of their name.

As time stretches forward, the colour of leaves on the tree begin to fade. The leaves never fall off but they turn a brilliant white. It’s a subtle transition that mutes the vibrancy of the remaining leaves. Like energy, the colour cannot be destroyed or lost, it simply finds a new home. The children have become the new colour bearers.

Onyx’s experience of the game was not one of delight, it was one of exclusion and isolation. He quickly realised that the other children worked with each other to engineer him out of the way. Onyx couldn’t contain his frustrations and always found himself crying and alone, with nobody around to comforted him. It happened so often this would become his very first memory.

🍿 Finished watching: The Fantastic 4: First Steps. This was great. The whole family loved it (including Yasmine). Even the hockey sci-fi stuff landed and obviously loved the 60s setting.

So annoyed. Left my brand new gloves in the back seat with the kids yesterday…now one pair is missing. Should know better. The back seat is the black hole of stuff. Things go there, but they may never return.

I always enjoy November, partly because I am usually writing some fiction. Writing 50-60 word chunks seems easy for me and there is momentum. Sure the final product might not be exceptionally polished but having written anything is better than not writing at all.

Maybe I get to keep things moving at the same pace once this chapter of Colours is finished. I have so many other things that I am waiting on writing.

First snowfall of the season. It’s a warning sign to get those snow tires installed.

Curiously, Onyx noticed that try as he might, the orbs did not react to him the same way they reacted to the other children. When he held an orb it didn’t change colour; rather it sat there lifelessly staring back at him. Clearly the orbs are broken, he thought to himself. That is the only possible explanation.

One of the challenges with having an awesome library system (world class in fact) is the fact that sometimes I can borrow a mountain of books and never get through most of them. I go through different flows at the moment but I want to get one book and really get into that book, then the next.

Tickets booked to Lebanon. This is the second attempt this year. I have no idea what the criminals south of the border are up - but the vile stench from Tel Aviv wafts everywhere in the Middle East. Nowhere is safe. I just want to see my parents and family.

As with most simple games, children tend to get better at the game the more they play. First they learnt how to make the orbs glow their colour for longer. Eventually they learned how to keep the colour in the orb after they had passed it onto the next child. Seeing their colour in the orb started off as a feeling of delight, this soon turned into something more primal, existential.

As the orbs were passed around Onyx found himself being excluded from the game. At first it was subtle, the other children would pass the orb to Onyx and then quickly take it away. This quickly shifted to more direct actions, as they would skip his turn entirely. This eventually turned to pushing and shoving Onyx out of the way.

📚 Finished reading: Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fábio Moon. I couldn’t put this down. Released 15 years ago, it’s an Eisner winner and I’ve never read it. One of the very best comic I’ve read this year and I have read some seriously outstanding books.

Even at this early age, the rest of the children observed Onyx differently. The difference wasn’t in the colour of his skin, as no child was alike in that regard. The common trait between the children was the colour of their eyes. At this age, they were all as white as snow. By contrast, Onyx had eyes as black as night.

The orbs offered the children an object of pure wonder. The game they played simply involved passing the orbs to each other. Every time one of the children held the orb it would change colour, unique to every child. The colour would shine for a few seconds before gradually fading away, returning to its empty vessel form, ready to be awakened again by another child.

Obama won the US presidential election 17 years ago. Let that sink in for bit.

The golden era of Vertigo Comics ended around a decade ago. DC have decided to bring it back this year. The thing is there is an absolute treasure trove of incredible books that were created that I know I have not engaged with by some excellent writers.

The only thing that you could count on with Vertigo, like HBO is the new voices and artists you had not heard of that were about to produce magic. For this alone, I hope that the new venture is successful for the. If it’s not, the back catalogue has enough to engage me for at least another decade.

As babies, the stream of milk which flowed from the tree itself and was all the nourishment they needed. As they grew, they needed more than sustenance. They needed an environment that encouraged experimentation, that allowed ideas and skills to be tested. The Garden provided tools of engagement. As infants the first of these were the orbs. Small lifeless bulbs that turn to life as soon as a child held one.

The Garden’s sole purpose was to provide the children with an environment to play and grow. The Garden provided the children with everything they needed to take care of themselves. The Garden provided the children with the best environment for them to grow with complete autonomy as there were no adults.

So pretty.

Part 1 of my new series of articles have been written - at least as a first draft. That’s twelve concise articles on how to enter the construction industry in a position and role that you will thrive in. It’s been great getting back into writing on a regular basis - roughly 20-30minutes a day. Sunday mornings is when I like to polish my 500 words. I’m not holding myself to any schedule (so sometimes I do it and sometimes I don’t).

My genuine hope is that I will be useful to those just leaving University and trying to enter the job market.

As much as I hate daylight savings in the spring, I love it in the winter. This is the good one where we are given for the only time ever, the literal gift of time.

The tree was at the centre of a rich and elaborate garden that had formed around it. The garden was overflowing with a seemingly infinite selection of fruits, nuts and vegetables. Milk and honey flowed from the tree into separate ponds. And within all of this colourful beauty, children roamed freely.

The tree stood tall and proud against everything around it. The base of the tree was so thick it would take a full day to walk all the way around it. The trunk, which snaked upwards twisting and branching out in every direction. The foliage that covered the tree was thick, exploding with colour.

Every November I try and get some fiction written. It’s a small win for me as it flexes very different kind of muscles for me. This year I am going to be publishing the third chapter of my Colours series that has been sloshing in my head for over two decades. Eventually I want to add spot illustrations for this thing.

Happy Halloween everyone!

⚾ Go Blue Jays!

Affinity (by Canva) is a reimagining of the old Serif Affinity suite of apps in one single place. Really not sure what to make of it all. I loved it previously that I paid for a kick ass product and knew where I stood. You make good stuff. I give you money and the cycle continues. This feels weird. Software this polished and this good should not be free. Right?

⚾️ Yesavage is our favourite player. Mainly because of the awesome name, but turns out he’s and awesome pitcher as well. Bonus.

📚 Finished reading: Starve Vol. 2 by Brian Wood. A solid ending. The characters really grew on me. The premise was really fun. The artwork was excellent in that grimy Vertigo comics way.

⚾️ After a crazy ridiculously long ass game yesterday, we’re back even on this one and playing back home. Bring it home Blue Jays.

By tomorrow these colours are gone.

The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.
— David Viscott ✱

✱ Although regularly misattributed to Pablo Picasso.

First properly cold day of the year…and I’m kinda here for it all. Think I’m going to make a butternut squash chilli.

⚾️ Fakking hell do these baseball people love to chew and spit. Legit disgusting.

Sorted a Contact form that hopefully won’t get relentlessly spammed.

Toronto pride is in full swing. Everyone in the city is wearing some Blue Jays merch of some description. I’m not there yet, considering I love baseball movies, but really feel underwhelmed by baseball games, but I love the city wide sentiment — something extremely North American about this.

I get it now. Creamy keyboards. It’s not something you can express in words. You have to experience it to understand. Having weighted keys that offer a tiny soft clack is next level typing. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get into this world.

I feel a fool for not just getting Keyboard Maestro earlier in my Mac life. I’m still kicking the tires, but can’t wait to really do some cool things with this app.

At the LAO, on an amazingly crisp autumn day.

Goodnight Toronto!

🍿Finished watching: Love Is Blind Season 9. Yasmine and I started watching this during Covid and have continued. This season was rubbish.

🍿Finished watching: Reunion I actually really enjoyed this movie. Had enough character as a comedy and who done it to keep me engaged.

Oh no. A couple of the guys got some mechanical keyboards at work and now I’ve found myself hunting on Amazon for different kinds. The Nuphy Air 75 (with Cowberry switches) looks like the one for me…for this evening. Tomorrow might be a different story.

Inktober 2025/19.

Of course Brian Wood would have a newsletter. What’s more interesting however is that he’s publishing stories in a serialised format right there. Fire hose, but I’m here for it.

📚 Finished reading: Starve Vol. 1 by Brian Wood. Vertigo comics might be dead (without Karen Berger), but this book would have fit right into that catalogue. Brilliant series. Art is wonderful, characters are well thought out and the story moves along nicely.

Inktober 2025/18. I am seriously enjoying the absolute freedom of drawing Corgan from any angle.

🍿Finished watching: Silo Season 1. Great show. So strong in fact as soon I finished watching this I went and read the books, which are truly incredible.

Wonderful autumn day. Filled with so much colour.

🚗 Can’t believe it’s been an entire year since we bought the car. We went for nearly 5 years without one - several of which were covid years. 6000km driven this year….not a whole lot really.

Inktober 2025/17.

Inktober 2025/16.

🍿 Finished watching: The Wild Robot. Great movie. Hadn’t heard of it but totally exceeded my expectations.

Inktober 2025/15.
Be still my beating heart, I get to draw my characters from below or above without breaking into sweats!

Inktober 2025/14. My characters in actual perspective - where I kinda know what I’m trying to do. Long way to go, but first steps and all that.

It’s not every morning your meeting gets cancelled. It’s a great day for a short walk and you stumble upon something relatively serene in the city of Toronto.

Perspective drawing has eluded me for the entire time I have been drawing. I have spent plenty on books and tried watching videos but never invested in an actual course that looks to teach me these fundamentals in a manner that I can use again and again. I’m actually really excited to be able to take my art to the next level, because I feel this is one of those skills that unlocks whole new worlds for me and finally what’s in my brain can be translated onto paper.

Definitely going to be posting things as I go along so that I can track progress.

Finished watching: How to build a MotorCar S1E1, Episode 1 🍿. This was about building a Bentley. Ryan is heavily into cars at the moment. I think Drive to Survive is next.

Never heard of Proko before. Now I’m looking into the Perspective Fundamentals course to get my artwork to the next level.

📚 Finished reading: We Need Your Art by Amie McNee. One of the most important books I have read. I do wish that I had this book 20 years ago because it would have helped frame a lot of what I am going through better. I’m very thankful it exists and recommend it to anyone with a creative endeavour.

Inktober 2025/13.

New brewer, ready for action. Sir!

I recently visited Jason Santa Maria’s website. Couple of important points of note. You can download his book On Web Typography directly from the home page. It’s a timeless piece of writing if you’re interested making better websites. The other thing I wasn’t aware of was the fact that he is now creating his own typefaces. Citywide looks great.

Inktober 2025/12.
Not every day I create a new character but there is momentum with sketching something (anything!) every day.

400th post this year.

When I think back across the years where there was friction to posting to my site it makes me sad because there are so many wonderful moments that I didn’t record.

Your site is such a wonderful gift to your future self fill it with fun stuff recording your moments to relive and remember later on.

Inktober 2025/11. Creating a new character is only fun after progress has been made.

Inktober 2025/11.

Like with my beer, I have started recording my coffee adventures. For the newcomer to anything really, finding a simple resource of recommendations is actually pretty important. Hopefully this will help others find things to their tastes.

Listening to Kings of Leon. It’s been too long. Love Kings of Leon.

It’s Thanksgiving weekend (Canadian edition). I do love this time of the year and this holiday does generally come at a good time for a little reflection and a little resetting just before the brutality of winter kicks in. Going to try and get some reading, writing and drawing done.

Inktober 2025/09.

📚 Finished reading: Goliath by Tom Gauld. I love Gauld’s aesthetics and the story was…an interesting flip.

It’s that time of the year and colours they are popping. I wonder if one’s life mirrors that of a tree and you get moments of brilliance after middle age.

🥶 First cold day of the year. It dropped seemingly overnight.

Inktober 2025/08.

Inktober 2025/07.

Inktober 2025/06.

Inktober 2025/05

I may have overdone the coffee selection this month.

🍳 Pastitisio. I’ve not made this in years. It all came together really well. Reminded me of home in Greece. Did a light cucumber, tomato, onion and basil salad. Chef’s kiss.

Looking to start my Stet newsletter up again, but with a pretty different type of writing about the built environment. When I started I was using Buttondown but then moved to Substack hoping that would be a better fit (this was pre-Nazis on that platform). Had a look at Buttondown again and it’s looking better now with some cool new features. Also at $7/month that’s good value.

Inktober 2025/04

Inktober 2025/03

One of my first Japanese beers that isn’t a Sapporo Super Dry.

Been listening to Mariah Carey’s Someone’s Ugly Daughter album (not officially released, but 3 seconds of internet search and you can easily download it). Completely of it’s time. Would easily sit next to a Hole album or 4 Non Blondes. Love it.

Every single country in blue should hang their heads in shame.

Inktober 2025/02

Inktober 2025/01

I’ve been collecting watches for 7 years now (I buy one watch a year). My latest purchase fits my current lifestyle a lot. It’s a JPM Seiko with a solar movement, aligned to the atomic clock. Don’t really have the energy (inclination) to constantly tweak the time or date. This thing just stays correct on its own. My favourite is if I’ve put it away for a weekend (because it’s a more dressy watch) it all magically realigns itself, date and all.

Feeling a little restless at the moment. Lots going on in life.

Trump and Netanyahu agree new US peace plan for Gaza. No comment, but you can have an emoji 🖕🏻.

The internet and social media is hopefully meant to enrich you in ways you might have been completely oblivious to. @manton’s sent me down the Richard Williams rabbit hole. Interestingly his book The Animator’s Survival Kit is available on the Internet Archive. Not sure if that’s a legit thing.

America At Its Breaking Point. I love Trevor Noah, but much more from this podcast than when he was on The Daily Show. The episode with Ezra Klein was fascinating and the perfect thing for a Sunday afternoon.

One of my favourite international beers has a new ‘livery’.

It’s not every day you see a bat flying around in the park. I’ve drawn these things countless time in my childhood but never seen one before - at least not that I can remember. Previously I would have been in awe, now I’m thinking get away from me diseased thing :).

Finances are a dirty business to get into. I will make sure I give the boys sound financial advice that they understand and can implement easily because it’s a massive mental overhead when you make the wrong decision.

The trains exits the tunnel and rides the bridge crossing the Don Valley. Out in the distance, like a painting I see rows of trees, layered behind each other slowly fading away, thick from the morning rain. It feels like autumn.

Is America About to Win the Nuclear Fusion Race? Loved this video because anytime I hear about new ways to generate electricity I am reminded that it truly is our best way out of our climate change hole.

I’m putting this in here to remind Yasmine that the summer (or hot and sunny weather) does extends well into September. It’s not guaranteed but it happens. Still in shorts and t-shirts.

New book. New pocket notebook. Been a while since I used a Moleskine. Love the fact I customise the cover to whatever I want.

New park in Toronto. Chilling with other parents (Carl, Amar and Christine) in glorious sunshine - not many more of these days left before Winter starts to kick in.

Finally capturing some movement in the lines.

Signboard is a kanban app that writes Markdown files by Colin Devroe. I can confirm that this thing loads up quickly. For a good while I did use the Obsidian plugin (and loved it). Maybe I’m just not into this style of productivity any more?

Charlie Kirk in His Own Words.

US casts 6th veto at United Nations over war in Gaza. American Zionism at its very best.

I have been slowly building my drawing muscle again. Drawing a character from every angle for a few months until I can draw them with my eyes closed.

Shutter Declutter. I need to save some space on my machine, clearly 250GB is no longer what it used to be (which is nuts to me). Photos are an easy target and this looks like a small strokes fell big oaks kinda app.

I’ve not been keeping track (15 years ago I linked to Dominic ’s Biolab Disaster) but a few years ago it seems that some of the original source code for WipeOut was leaked and he’s rewritten it into a web based game….and it is faithful to the original. Easily one of my favourite racing games ever.

reMarkable Paper Pro Move. Great overview/infomercial for the new remarkable tablet. But at $800 (Canadian) for the exact same setup as the video, that is a very pricey device. You can shave a little with a simpler stylus, but a case is essential.

Israel are like rabid dogs just attacking everyone. These assholes need to be stopped. Real human beings will never stop supporting Palestine. You cannot wipe the Palestinian people you colonial psychopaths.

This is a rationalisation about people and their personalities. It is about how their personalities are tied to seasons of their lives. First, an explanation of Seasons as it relates to a person.

When a person is born they are in the Spring of their lives. They have youthful energy. Everything that surrounds them is burns brightly. They have an explosive energy that is infectious. They grow quickly and without much care of consequences.

As they enter the Summer of their lives they have grown to full bloom. They will never be as strong physically. They are at their peak beauty.

As they enter into the Autumn of their lives there is a clear understanding of who they are as a person. While they still have energy, it is not the same vibrant energy that they had perviously. Typically there is a bright and sadly final flash of energy demonstrating everything that they can be .

Finally when they enter the Winter of their lives, things begin to slow down. The world and their horizon become infinitely shorter. They must make way for the next generation after them.

Oftentimes however, more often than you think, people tend to skip or stay in one of their seasons indefinitely. This tends to explain why some people are forever youthful even in their old age and why some kids might seem to be wiser beyond their years.

The Unlikely Way. Absolutely love this ad. Love it so much. It’s got that same quirky energy of a 90s Levis add that we would honestly wait to watch again and again.

Spain’s PM Sanchez announces sanctions to pressure Israel to end war in Gaza. Super proud of the Spanish government for making a clear stance against the Israeli criminals. We need as many governments to join.

🍳 Made some chicken souvlakis - Ryan’s absolute favourite. Yasmine was on oven fries duty. Quick marinade although I think this thing would have been next level if it had been marinated overnight. Next time.

Finally got around to watching Superman with the family. Great 70s vibe to it. Great portrait of Israel as the evil government (along with IDF style troopers). Krypto was amazing. Jimmy Olsen was a standout character.

An E-bike for the Mind. I really loved Makoism’s summary (where I got the original link from):

AI should be really viewed as ‘Augmented Intelligence’ instead of artificial intelligence.

🍳 Mise en place.

I haven’t taken a tumble in a really long time. Decades. But tripped while rushing to get the kids back to school today over some pavement works, scraped myself in four different locations. I’m getting too old for this shit.

I don’t tend to link back to my own stuff, but this post from 20 years ago made a real impression. I don’t know who Housy is. I don’t have any recollection of this trip in any way whatsoever.

The magic of having your own site which all your thoughts across a lifetime is unearthing gems like this. Best thing I’ve read today.

Big cooking morning! Bolognaise. Pizza dough. Coconut chickpea curry. And made a quick salad for myself for lunch. Family meals done for 6 days in one morning. I want to make it into a habit to cook for the week on a Sunday and get it all ready to go whenever.

Damn, you loose it so quickly. 1 month of doing my 5 Tibetans every day allowed me to get to 21 reps easy. 10 days on holiday and I’m struggling to get to 17 reps.

🍳 Greek Lamb Shanks. Auto pilot. Great meal to come back home to after a second from final trip to the pool.

Last day of August. Just getting the house in order before the start of the new school year for the kids. Bit nervous for them as it’s a new school. Hopefully it will be a good one for them.

🐝 Yellowjacket season in Ontario is soo annoying. These things are out in force and really aggressive. Sitting outside is a roulette for getting stung

Spent the last few days unsubscribing from a million newsletters (mostly from companies I bought something of once). Now my inbox is much quieter.

While I do lament the end of summer, we’re coming up to my absolute favourite month of the year, September. Where it’s not too hot and not too cold, it’s the goldilocks of weather and the start of a ‘new school year’ brings opportunity in a way the fabricated New Year’s eve does not.

Just got my first Starbucks in Canada (ran out of coffee beans). Totally not worth $8 for a cappuccino. I won’t be partaking ever again

Trying something a little different.

My main site is all about my life and what I am up to. A cross between a journal and a record.

I do like the act of posting about cool stuff and my general interests in the world. A distillation I guess of my tastes in website form.

Enter Collections (working title for now). Plan is simple. A sentence (or two), a link and an image. Will be messing around with the design at some point (if it sticks).

Last pool day of the summer.

This year, it’s all been about the yellow. Started off with my Kobo cover, but extended to my iPhone cover and the site.

Last real sunny day of our holiday. It’s been a little hit and miss these last 10 days which has been pretty annoying. When it’s been sunny it’s been amazing. Tomorrow bring another rainy day and then annoyingly 1 week of bright sunshine, after we’ve bloody left. I guess you can’t control the weather (ever). If we come back here it will be earlier in the season.

📚 Finished reading: Catwoman: Lonely City by Cliff Chiang. This was excellent. Can’t remember when I last read a Catwoman story but it was decades ago. Cliff Chiang isn’t a creator I’ve spent much time with but I’ve always heard great things about. It’s like a Dark Knights Returns but for Catwoman. The art and character designs are a real treat.

📚 Finished reading: Odessa by Jonathan Hill. I loved the two tone art (going to be leaning into this more). Story was very engaging and fun read for the summer.

In line for at least one hour to get some Shake Shack. It’s been 7 years since I’ve had one which is the only reason I’m doing this to myself - and because Ryan is super excited as well.

Summer has become my opportunity to reflect on the year that passed and where I am in life in general. Looking back, 2024 was a tough year on many different levels. This continued into early 2025 and I’m only recently coming out of this fog and am in a better place in many different areas which is encouraging.

1. Health

This is one of those areas that is incredibly significant for my overall wellbeing and life in general. 1 month ago, a switch turned off in my head. It wasn’t subtle it was instant and my hope is that I will be able to maintain it indefinitely.

Since then I have taken control of what I consume and when. In this limited time period I have been able to loose 5kg, which is the easy ones I feel. Having said that I am not in a rush. My body has been dealing with having an overabundance of calories for seemingly at least a couple of decades.

Truth is I have never had the body that I always wished for. I am essentially looking for healthy insides and outsides to make doing things with my family a pleasant affair, both now and into the future.

I have been doing my Five Tibetans and have enjoyed the process immensely. It’s a small lift and honestly I can tell that it is better than not doing anything.

I read my post from 5 years ago and it’s a little disheartening because I know what happened next after I had then lost 10kg. I completely fell off my No-S diet because of work stress and never came back until 1 month ago.

2. Finances

Last year I took complete control of 90% of my finances. It was one of the most liberating actions I’ve taken. My only regret is not acting earlier and it’s something I certainly had some control over, but I decided to outsource. A lesson for sure, and one I can certainly pass over to my kids. Read A Simple Guide to Wealth and don’t rely on a financial advisor from Dubai.

I can take control of a further 5% (the rest is in pension schemes I have no real control over), which I absolutely plan on doing even though I am going to be loosing some further money.

3. Creativity

This took a beating. Apart from writing to my website and the occasional small piece of art, this year was one of my lowest creative output years in over a decade. I fell off the wagon and it took me reading We Need Your Creativity (at least the start) to kick start this again.

I’m in a good place on all thing Stet. I’m 6 posts into the new season which I hope I will start publishing at the start of 2026. More importantly however I have the right setup that I can see myself continuing through this process as long as it remains fun for me.

4. Drawing

One area that I do want to add to my general activities is drawing. I have the projects, the art tutors (aka books) that can make me a better artist. I have all the gear. I just need to dedicate 10-15min a day to build that muscle.

5. Work

This has gotten much better. More satisfying as I have learnt to let go of certain things and embrace others. I feel like I have a lot more to give but the environment around me is one that allows me to give more.

One area that has not been in a good place has been my emails, notes and timeblock planning. They have been in complete chaos this last year and I want to get back to a place where I control these again.

6. Family & Friendships

This dial has been on life support for the last few years. It has slowly increased a little bit in the last year but I can certainly do more in this area. Hopefully seeing my family this December.

7. Hobbies

My hobbies can be listed as follows:

1. Coffee
2. Beer
3. Stationary
4. Technology
5. Watches
6. Reading
7. Journalling
8. Walking

These are all being fed a different times and in different capacities. I’m happy with how these are generally going and I look to add a couple of experiences or pieces to my collection.

Morning light.

🏖️ Tomorrow marks the last dog day of summer. Love the term but never realised which days it signified.

Canadian geese just be chillin’.

We had a visitor this evening on our patch of grass.

It’s becoming a family tradition. Have a meal at the Beach Club.

Mine!

Seeing CDs being sold just takes me back to when music was a physical object that somehow enhanced the listening experience.

I’ve been on a little upgrade kick these last few months. Back in Dubai I bought this tiny Mi speaker that was better than it had any right to be for the price. It last a decent amount of time (and still works). Upgraded to a Roam 2 speaker and this thing honestly is tiny but fills the room with crisp tunes.

The last embers of summer. In Southern Ontario the seasons are totally distinct. The summer will be winding down next week where it is no longer this blistering heat. Still outside weather for sure but the heat and bite is gone by Sunday.

I don’t usually complain about the weather but I felt it was much shorter this year than I would have wanted in general.

Just finished watching Kpop Demon Hunters and actually enjoyed it…even though it was a musical (I notoriously dislike musicals).

Field Notes 50 Anniversary Desk Ledger. This was really a fantastic piece of design. I loved it and would have kept it in its plastic if I had this pdf to see all the goodies inside.

The kids finally saw a real live Capybara. They’ve been talking about these things all winter (and singing about them).

Sadly we had to take Cookie back. Our eldest developed an allergy to her (puffy eyes, sneezing and a cough). As much as it broke our hearts giving her back it was the only call. Great dog, with an awesome temperament and just pleasant to be around.

📚 Finished reading: Now Let Me Fly by Ronald Wimberly. I’d never read or heard of Ron Wimberly. Not a prolific writer/artist but this is his most comprehensive works and I absolutely loved it.

I really enjoy what I do, but there can be too much of a good thing. Summer holiday begins today. Just turn off and recharge.

First pic.

Important day for our family. We got the latest member, a three month old Havanese doggy. She’s an incredibly chill dog. Incredibly well natured. Expect a ton of photos.

I couldn’t bring myself to read Tigana in printed form. It’s set in Times New Roman, and the ink was bleeding into the page just annoyed me. So instead got myself a Kindle version. Quick search and I found that it was also available on the Kobo (for the same reduced price). Might look into getting a bigger Kobo because you can tell the difference between two.

Time to reconsider my notebook situation.

A general Lifebook is essential in my life. What I am now considering is actually combining my Lifebook and projects related book into one. They don’t necessarily need to be separate. I have a few more pages left in one of the notebooks will finish that off and then consolidate into one.

No idea why I haven’t done this which is to have a single sketchbook notebook. Fill it up with everything. I did this a few years ago and loved the output but somehow decided (foolishly) to create a Moon Racket! only sketchbook. That’s going to change. Back to paints and inks and all sorts of randomness in there for the sake of just letting my mind go a little.

Finally, moving away from my B6 slim journal into the Hobonichi 5 years is going to be interesting as it’s a few lines a day. If I feel the need to write more (which is not very regularly), there is a free page for that.

At work this has honestly gone to shit. Total and utter shit. I continue to jot things down in my A5 notebook, except I do it poorly and without a view to extract information at a later date. I need to be more purposeful in how I use this notebook.

Part of an early birthday present to myself, finally got another Hobonichi product, this time one that will hopefully last me 5 years and be a place to pile in my short missives.

Welcome to Carrington. Great video with insight from some of the key people at MU. Hopefully this translates to success on the pitch.

Honestly someone explain to me what that trophy crap that Tim Cook/Apple handed to the 🍊 is all about? Low Tim Apple, very low.

📚 Finished reading: Utown by CAB. This was excellent. I picked this up completely randomly and it was such a fun and perfect Oni Press book. Loved the characters and how they evolved throughout the nine chapters. You can read it all online, but I recommend the book.

🍳 Burgers & Fries.
Recently I found out what I was doing wrong with the burgers all this time - meat grind was non-existent. Did double patties for the first time ever. Was epic.

What a solid couple of weeks for creating new habits that are sticking. I usually don’t like to add to much new stuff because it inevitably means that something will fall off. This last couple of weeks I’ve added the following:

1. Do my five Tibetans while waiting for the water of my morning coffee to boil.
2. Armed with my coffee I write for 30mins every day.

I can’t fully see the results of my exercise (as little as it is), but the writing has gone to essentially writing one 500ish chapter/article per week. This subtle progress allows me to extrapolate both new habits together. I’m excited to see the results in 3-4 months.

We got rid of Nazism.
We got rid of South African Apartheid.
It’s time we get rid of Zionism.

Zionism has become the successor to these abhorrent, nasty and inhuman ideologies.

And none of them have a place in the civilised world.

At the rate that I’m going, I hope to be around my target weight and body shape by March 2026. That’s 8 months from now. My brain is there already, it’s just going to take my body a little while to catch up.

🍳 Coconut and Chickpea Curry.
Love the ingredients on this. Simple vegetarian dish that hits all the right notes. Used green beens rather than spinach this time but worked just as well.

It’s been a little over one week with my new relationship with food and exercise.

I don’t want to call it diet, because that implies that I will revert to form after I’ve maybe reached my ‘target’.

I can absolutely feel the difference and the scales are certainly confirming the difference - while modest overall, is a major shift for me as I have genuinely struggled to reach just this point for seemingly years. I am genuinely excited to track the changes week on week.

Have I missed anything during this time? Not a thing. I’ve enjoyed every main meal that I have had. Breakfast feels light and lunch doesn’t have the same ‘heaviness’ ever again. Cutting out bread from every meal really wasn’t that hard - I now have it as part of a special meal on weekends.

I thought my five Tibetan exercises would be more difficult, but again, using the water boiling for my coffee means I get an awesome gift of coffee after I’ve completed the exercises. I do lunges when I make afternoon coffee.

It’s taken me a while, but I finally ‘get’ how to use ChatGPT for myself, beyond just a curiosity. As expected these LLMs are getting better. The best way to think of them is actually that they are an assistant at the moment. They’re not brilliant, but they do a serviceable job. Over time, they might take over complete tasks (which is scary but also kinda exhilarating).

🍳 Butter Chicken.
Honestly what was missing was some fresh naan, but ran out of time today. Also fresh cream in the sauce would have been amazing but I went extra with the butter. Aromatic rice. Guelph Wellington IPA pairing. Listening to an amazing 90s set list. Classic Friday night with the family.

I just finished writing the first chapter of my new book, A Simple Guide to the Construction Industry. This is the new chapter of Stet.

I took a good while off to regroup my thoughts and efforts and reassess what I want to do with the project. It’s one of my favourite things that I have created and want to continue creating for it, just not in the way that I had started.

I’m probably 6 months away from starting to share anything, but as long as I can continue at this steady pace I think I will have something to share.

Also I really missed working in iA Writer, but my new favourite feature is the proofreading option on MacOS, which is part of Apple Intelligence.

The Hopeful Romantics. That’s two from two from Howey. He very well may have helped change my life - I will certainly be writing more about this in the coming months is true. But with this post he’s definitely helped me deal with the misery in Palestine. Incremental things. Do as much as I can.

It’s nearly been one week since I started my new ‘life’ as someone healthy. Howey is completely correct, it is 50% a mental game. Something in your brain has to switch for you to find a gear in anything that you do. Even something as difficult as changing your body. I’m shocked at how easy it’s been to remove carbs for 70% of my meals. I’m also shocked that I no longer crave any snacks, whether throughout the day or in the evening. For years this has been my achilles heel but once I worked through the mental game, poof, it’s gone.

It’s still very early days and so the impacts of all the little cuts and additions to my routines have yet to yield any visible output (I never expected them to), but I’m invigorated by what the future holds. 1 month from now. 2 months from now. 6 months from now.

🏊‍♂️ Parenting point unlocked today. Ryan finally was swimming in the pool without any assist. Didn’t think it would be so quick but the boy only took 3 weeks of regular swimming and he’s now swimming from one end of the pool to the other. Proud moment and totally worth the effort to get him here.

Short walk around the East York Civic Center.

Fleuss Chronograph SpongeBob SquarePants Eyedial. Spinnaker watches is killing it with their cartoon character releases. These things are so well designed and at a great price point as well. Just really fun to see what they come up with next.

I’ve heard of this state. A switch flips in your head and it becomes your way of life. This happened to me 3 days ago. I do know what instigated it and what finished it off. The brain is the ultimate tool. Given the right types of prompts it will allow you to do things. Given the wrong prompts (or no prompts at all) and it will continue to meander. I’m not even concerned about falling back into bad habits, because my brain has been rewired. Willpower is not actually what is keeping this together. It’s my new way of life.

How To Make Better Burgers. I have generally honed my burger making to a level I am happy with, except as it relates to the patty itself and bloody shrinkage. This video explains why my burgers have always sucked and it’s all down to the burger and the grind. Guess I’m getting a KitchenAid meat grinder attachment.

🇨🇦 I fucking love Toronto in the summer. It’s got the right balance of hot and cool going. It’s a time to make the absolute most out of the incredible Toronto Public Library system. Pools/beaches are open across the city. Good vibes all around.

For years I have know that the secret to getting trim, fitting into your favourite clothes and general long term health is down to the food you eat. Not sure where my brother heard this but I got it off him:

Diet begins in the kitchen.

I honestly thought that the No-S Diet was the thing for me, but turns out it was only the start of the journey (or at least that is where I am right now). One of the biggest concepts that the No-S diet gave me was the no sugar and no snacking. Even though it did talk about being in the right mental state for things I lost my way.

A switch has been flipped in my brain this week. It wasn’t revolutionary but clearly I am someone who likes things framed in a certain way so that I can get onboard. The feel of hunger is ok. There is an abundance of calories waiting for me to consume just a few meters away from me. Clearly for much of my life to my detriment.

Diet is fundamentally a mental state.

Taking control of my food in my mid 40s is a little late but I can see how this might define the quality of my life in later years. I’m in the worst shape of my adult life at the moment (in my teens I had an obese phase), but the truth is the barrier to fix that is actually relatively low, I’ve just never been able to course correct since I got married — not blaming Yasmine, but it’s only natural that mealtimes and meals become more important when you become a couple.

So what’s the plan Batman?

Simples:

• Generally limit my carb intake. Maybe once a day at dinner.
• Breakfast is yogurt with different toppings (fruit, nuts, granola), to offer some variation).
• Lunch will be a pre-prepped salad (I have the containers so am ready to rock and roll on this).
• Dinner is whatever I want. No seconds.
• I don’t tend to drink sugary drinks, but orange juice and lemonade will be limited to a glass maybe on the weekends.
• Water and a slice of lemon is my new favourite thing.
• Beer consumption will also be limited (I do like a beer on a weekend though, so not going to stop myself from everything).
• Chocolate intake was also limited, but now that’s off the table, except on special occasions.
• The hardest one for me is salty snacks in the evening. This one is a conversation with the family to not bring this stuff into the house until I can break these cravings. Hopefully a month or so should do it. Maybe I get ahead of this and prep some carrots I can nibble on as a substitute.
• Also, do the Five Tibetans every day and lunges. In time I might supplement this with some weight training as well for chest and legs.

The Five Tibetans . So I read Hugh Howey’s article about health and fitness, which lead me to his short, which lead me to the above video about the daily exercises to carry out and I think this whole journey will help me better understand my own body and how I can get healthier.

The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality. If you need more incentive to go read Unreasonable Hospitality, this short video with Will Guidara from a few months ago should be enough to get you over the line.

📚 Finished reading: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.

Easily my favourite book of the year so far. Great book. Very well written. Flowed incredibly well and ultimately told a fantastic story weaving how to manage people, life lessons from a father that wasn’t my own. Even though the fine dining scene is most certainly not my own, it was like reading the book the show The Bear was based on. Highest possible recommendation.

I’m so thankful for Mehdi Hassan, taking no fucks from absolute scum like Dershowitz. Anyone defending the Israeli psychopaths (and those funding/supporting) need to be called out daily. I couldn’t do it, but I’m glad Mehdi has the presence of mind to tackle these assholes constantly and regularly.

🍳 Fish and Chips.
This one was by special request from Ryan. Both the fish and the fries turned out great - fries and fish we crunchy. Tartar sauce was too loose. I ended up adding a full red onion. Should have gone for half and maybe squeezed out the juice. Also too much lemon juice.

🍳 Granola.
Honestly it’s been so long since I had granola. Inspired by Unreasonable Hospitality.

In restaurants — and in all customer-service professions — the goal is to connect with people.
— Will Guidara

It’s a muggy summers day today in Toronto. I like feeling this way in contrast to what winter brings.

Run out of space on your Mac? External storage explained… . Got a message today that I was running out of storage. This video is the perfect primer to understanding the options available to me.

Gawd the neighbours are annoying. Their ill placed external unit which first turned on at the start of May. Their yappy little dog. They’re annoying conversations that I can’t hide from because they’re too loud. It’s all unwanted noise pollution.

Honestly, I am soo bored and exhausted of the 🍊 and the bullshit that comes along with him. Tariffs on. Tariffs off. Epstein list on. List off. Atrocious foreign policies. Ineffectual diplomacy. What you get when you put someone fundamentally ill suited for a role. Thanks ‘Merica!

I’ve been dipping my toes into using AI slowly. My first foray was in text descriptions for photos. It’s something I have very little interest in doing but would love to. Solved. Recently got it to help me do some coding and actually worked through Hugo version number issues and even bugs!

First pair of reading glasses. Another clear signal of age.

Took the family to watch Jurassic World. It was ok, except I was not that into the mutant dinosaur thing - tbh the whole movie is really not my thing, but Yasmine is a massive Jurassic Park geek and got everyone t-shirts. I’m looking forward to the new Tron and Superman movies this year.

Creativity is the missing pillar in self-development.
— Amie McNee, We Need Your Art.

I’m reading The World in a Grain of Sand and this quote really frames what the book is about:

Without sand, we wouldn’t have contemporary civilisation. And believe it or not, we are starting to run out.

📚 Finished reading: Essex County by Jeff Lemire. Absolutely wonderful book. 500 pages of pure greatness. I’m also super happy to have read this book while living in Canada. Just makes it all hit that much harder. Get a copy this summer, you won’t be disappointed.

Was looking for a way to export my highlights/annotations from my Libby/Overdrive borrowed books. Couldn’t see a way. Quick search and it’s a simple bit of text to unlock an existing feature. No idea why this isn’t just a default setting — a slightly nicer looking place for your annotations is kobli.me.

📚 Finished reading: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

I love that there is a Cardinal living near the house this year. I get to see him a few times a week. So rare and such a dude.

One of my many vices is that I do enjoy collecting books. Most of the times I read them. Sadly sometimes I do not. I might remember how important a book was to me as it provided something very specific to me that has lasted me many years after I read it. The book changed the way I think. Sometimes the story haunts me years, even decades after I read it. This is the very best stuff. The canonical stuff.

Amongst a wide range of ‘adulting’ activities carried out this week, I have managed to review my personal collection to try and pair it down to only the very best. One idea that I am considering is a single book, the best work by any individual artist, writer, designer, philosopher. There will be the occasional writer that gets an additional book here or there, but there is always one that stands above the rest. Of course I have a range of digital books. These I feel infinitely less pressured to culling. Being able to look at a shelf of books and know ho much they mean to you because they helped you grow as a human.

All the summer colours.

Honestly, the BBC’s biased and bullshit coverage of the genocide in Gaza can fuck right off. Take any shred of credibility, douse it in gasoline and torch it. Bunch of hacks.

Hermétique Summer from Baltic Watches is a a great collection of colours to add to this solid design. Love all the new colours (except the pink which isn’t for me). I can easily see myself rocking the turquoise, yellow or orange versions.

The Fairphone (Generation 6).. Not in the market for a new phone (my iPhone 15 Pro easily has 3 more years in the tank…at least), but if I was in the market, honestly I would have considered this as a pretty decent option. That or the Punkt MC02.

Clearly I have become a TV person over a movie person in terms of consuming a visual narrative. The standout shows for me this year have been (anything) Yellowstone related (there are always some weak points in those shows but the highs are very high) and The Bear.

I think this was confirmed to me when we finished watching Gladiator II. I can see what they’ve done here but I just didn’t care enough for the characters, even though the groundwork for these characters was established 10-15 years ago (whenever the first movie came out).

Which then got me thinking that the most important part of any creative narrative, is the story. Without the right story, it doesn’t matter if the visuals are great. It doesn’t matter that you’ve got Denzel Washington speaking the words. It never reaches the levels it could reach. Sometimes stories need room to breathe.

Maybe I’m just wired to accept episodic material, on the basis of my steady diet of serialised comic stories when I was younger?

First time playing pickleball.

The Bear season 4 drops today. 10 episodes of the bear. Average of 30min each, so we’re looking at 5 hours of screen time minimum over the next few days. I can’t wait.

Took me a minute, but finally updated the style of my weekly newsletter. Very basic, but honestly that’s about the right level of complexity with email…which sucks at rendering anything fancy unless you are a backwards ninja.

Been using my Kobo to read a book for the first time. Can’t help but compare it to the Kindle and I find the software snappier and pretty much at full parity to the Amazon product…except it’s better because I get to connect my library card and download away. Magic.

⚽️ The Club World Cup is a total cash grab but I guess the way to do this is give it away for free (on the DAZN app) and then get aligned with podcasts like The Rest is Football. Not convinced about all the teams in there, but eventually it will become something teams really try to get into.

With our holiday completely upended we have tried to find alternatives. The realities of what is available in Canada comes and bites us in the ass. Even the place we went to last year and really ended up enjoying isn’t an option anymore (the pools are no longer working for the entire summer).

Soo we’ve decided to embark on a home improvement project throughout the week while we reduce our body tempo. Hopefully with a little bit more time we can find a nice 2 week get away for the summer and then finally make it to Lebanon in time for Christmas.

🍳 Bolognaise.
Another auto-pilot dish. No sun dried tomatoes was a bummer. I’ve also never done one with bacon. But it all came together perfectly.

I need a drink.

Those Americans congratulating themselves for this action by the US must understand that war in the Middle East has a long fucking tail.

First comes strength, then comes peace.
— Some idiot in the current American Government….oops sorry Bibi Netanyahu.

Getting policy direction from Bibi Netanyahu is one of the weakest positions that a country like the US could have. Shame on you for sticking your sail to the mast of a genocidal, deplorable, murderous and odious government like the Israeli one.

Fleuss Automatic Popeye Bronemies Limited Edition SP-5161. I have been enjoying the character design collaborations that Spinnaker have been coming out with. The colour combination on this one is just a lot of fun. My only issue is that I don’t know if I would wear one. Great design to admire.

Inspiration exists, but it must find you working.
— Pablo Picasso

No idea how long this is going to last but having a kid obsessed with something has its perks - like this conversation :).

Transcript

Feeling soo deflated at the moment even though there is much to be thankful for, I’m just disappointed not to be seeing my mother and father after 6 years (see from three years ago when we tried this the last time). The universe transpired against us then just like it has now. Just frustrating, but alas others around the world have much, much existential issues to deal with that this is certainly one of pure privilege, which I understand.

It’s not even close but it does bring back memories from 3 years ago when circumstances beyond our control forced us to cancel our plans and holidays. I know that as a family we have precious few years to create memories together and the last 5 years have been a big hot mess. Seriously disappointing and just mentally annoying. Our bags were partially packed.

While we’re at it, Kevin ‘Kal’ Kallaugher’s new newsletter Kal Draws the Line is an instant subscription.

Glued to this post on Al Jazeera for coverage.

Bassem Youssef’s interview on Piers Morgan is a thing of beauty. So many wonderful quotes:

You don’t argue with pathological liar, you diagnose them.
Your optic nerve is antisemitic.
Israel has broken more international laws, than Diddy has violated young rappers.

The AiTelly youtube channel is a very different but massively informative channel on what’s going on in the Israeli/US/Iran war. Expect very little true information to come out, but 200 missiles used by the Iranians, from an approximate stockpile of 3,000. It will slow down but they will keep firing as it’s existential now.

Well that was quick. Flight was cancelled this morning, because of course it was. I haven’t seen my parents in 6 years and these assholes are a small part of the reason.

Then I get the pleasure of reading Western governments standing by this entitled nation of thieves. They steal land.
The steal lives.
They steal people.
They steal time.
They steal peace.

So proud of their theft they even have a saying:

If I don’t take it from you, someone else will.

Globally we are moving back towards the law of the jungle. Everything, absolutely everything I was scared about from 🍊 1.0 is coming to pass in version 2.0.

Bravo America for inflicting this muppet on the world. A failed entertainer with no concept of diplomacy.

Honestly I’m not overtly surprised by Israel’s audacity. They have been aided and empowered by the world’s biggest army and economy. We are in a time where dialogue and even pretending to try and maintain norms no longer exists. The backlash to ‘wokeness’? Regardless, this is an unhinged state, unleashed as it ‘tries to protect itself’ by preempting and blowing shit up in other countries. Lebanon, Syria and Iraq will all get dragged into this in some form or another.

Israel as a state does not have the right to exist, just like any country in the world doesn’t have a right. People have a right to exist above any bullshit ideology or man made construct defined by lines on a map.

I really wish I knew what power the Israelis have over the western governments. The more you get online the more you see people being detained for speaking their minds and trying to draw attention to something that should be a non discussion for anyone with a shred of humanity or decency.

The Israelis are abjectly horrible human beings who think their lives are more important and worth more than a Palestinian life. Starving 2 million people and systematically killing thousands in the year 2025 should not be a fucking topic of debate. This government would run out of everything without the support and help from outside its borders.

I can’t understand how and why this is still continuing apart from blind racism. And to think governments and their long arms have the right to question someone who speaks out about this. I just really don’t understand the world we live in and haven’t for quite some time.

Toronto Subway vs. LA Metro 2000-2025 Comparison. Everyone at Metrolinx, the TTC, the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario should hold their heads in shame. To be outdone by LA…a city that twenty years ago didn’t even know that trains even existed.

I couldn’t help myself. I downloaded the iPadOS Beta and it really is a proper upgrade in every respect. Sure there are some rough edges, but honestly it’s just great to see my 6 year old machine been given a real boost. Great job to the teams working on this.

How the hell did we get here?

A madman like Putin is destroying a nation, for bullshit reasons. A country like Israel is allowed to commit ethnic cleansing in view of everyone. Racist and fascist views are rampant at a government level in many countries in Europe and now increasingly in the US. There is increasingly less tolerance between humans. Our home is on fire.

Actually the question shouldn’t be how did we get here, but rather how to we get out…

I’m actually really impressed with some of the new features coming to the iPad. In most cases it’s about bloody time really (Menu bar, Files in dock and Previews). Multitasking is finally implemented in a way that I will actually use.

The Freedom Flotilla is getting ever closer to Palestinian soil. Of course the Israelis are trying to do the normal intimidation of those onboard. The world is watching you assholes.

Two Basic Issue Dads.
Putting this here so I don’t forget it.

Tee-CAF (TCAF) 2025 was on this weekend. It was at a new venue this year, was at TMU on Carlton Avenue, just a short walk from the old hood. My buddy Carl Brundtland was on a panel, so we took the boys over to see what’s what and let them get a little bit of high brow comic culture. Mixed in within a bunch of exhibitors we saw some real characters. The guy with the long leather jacket, beak mask and earphones stood out. The guy with the beard and tight red dress made an impression.

The classic display tables, such as D&Q and the Beguiling had the most polished stuff. My boy got all three Milo books from Peter Balsano. There were a couple of books that did stand out to me, but I just didn’t take a punt and buy anything. I think I just probably needed a lot more time to digest what was going on, which was a lot. This is the third time that I go to TCAF and I am starting to get a little bit more familiar with the setup, except the interaction with the people creating the books themselves.

Maybe next time I’ll actually talk to the creators and get a feel for what they have created.

Who’s ready for summer? This guy.

🍳 Sri Lankan Chicken Coconut Curry.
Even managed to make fresh naan breads with this as well. Total autopilot in making this. Made 8 smaller naan breads, next time will make them bigger. Hydration was close to perfect. 2 cups flour, 150ml of water was all it needed.

Took the kids to see their new school today. It’s fascinating how different schools in the same school board can have that distinct flavour depending on the community it is serving, the teachers that are there and the building and facilities themselves. The kids will be back to packed rooms of over 20 kids, but I’m heartened by the support for kids with ADHD, recognising that we are built differently and need different things to thrive. Also Zane will hopefully get back into chess again, since there is a chess club.

🍿 I am soo here for the total collapse of Elon Musk and Trump’s bromance. Just get the popcorn out and enjoy the show. America’s greatest douchebag couple.

The Feather app for iPad looks amazing! I didn’t know such a think even existed. With Procreate and Procreate Dreams, these are seriously amazing tools for creatives of any description.

It’s not every day that a site you created and ran 15 years ago is fully online, including the bloody url and favicon and you have literally nothing to do with it any more. I can only think that someone is doing this in the hope that I contact them to ask for it and pay their ransom?

Flawless. I just imported 1800 posts that I had as markdown files. I’ve been sitting on these for a while now but was inspired by Jamie’s post. Incredibly my own site now goes all the way back to 2004 as well. 21 years on the internet. It is disappointing that Micro.blog didn’t exist during my lean years that would have kick started my writing online more. It’s about recording moments in your life that you can celebrate yourself and reflect on where you’ve been. Lots of cleaning up to do.

I now know however that a personal site is not a destination, it’s a journey.

🍳 Chicken Parm with garlic mash and broccoli.
Loved how this came together. Simple dish but looked elegant on the dish and the mash was full of garlicky flavour. Would have loved a little more heat in the tomato sauce, but alas kids and Yasmine are just not ready for that.

📚 Finished reading: Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman. A good book to reframe your view on humanity and what each of us can or should do with their lives.

Just finished binging on 1883. What. A. Fantastic. Show. 10 hour movie is right. Some of the gunfights with the bandits felt a little much but overall the writing, cinematography, authenticity, acting and overall story was just on point. Highly recommended if you’re even remotely inclined towards period dramas.

Certainly clamouring for more of these characters but totally understand why this wasn’t ultimately extended to a second season, it works like magic that there are only these 10 episodes that tell a complete story.

You know you have a good product on your hands when you displace said item you go out and buy a replacement immediately. That’s the case with my Prostorm umbrella. Not a big fan of umbrellas in general but this thing balances build quality with price.

My eyes always rolls back hard in my head every time I hear about ‘Israel has a right to defend itself.’ No nation has a right to do the amoral and reprehensible actions this government has chosen to do. Displacing 2M people while killing 1000s is simply unacceptable and anyone choosing to defend such depravity is themselves complicit with this type of action.

🍳 Chicken Souvlaki.
This was Ryan’s choice. He really wanted this. Forgot to put garlic in the marinade. Everything came together well. Maybe a little heavy on the yeast. Maybe needed a little more salt (but I’m always second guessing this because of Yasmine and her aversion to salt).

Powerful video from the New York Times. Is it sensationalism? For all the canaries, it is not. It’s real and it’s been happening for a while.

🍳 Lamb ‘Kokkinisto’.
Excellent tenderness. This thing was cooking in the oven for 3½ hours. Perfect on a spring day like today.

Victoria Day is a day to reset after a long and harsh winter. Great book (Moral Ambition), great beer (from Wellington Brewery). Lamb in the oven.

🍳 Orzo Pasta Salada & Muhammara.
I added chickpeas in this one, and a slight tweak on the usual dressing (mustard, honey, olive oil, lemon and oregano). I think I could have either done a little less pasta or a little more dressing, but overall nice.

Reading Rutger Bregman’s Moral Ambition. Same guy who wrote one of my favourite books ever, Humankind is back. I really love his indignation and how he presents his arguments.

🍳 Tuscan Chicken. This was super easy. Sauce was great. Roasted potatoes turned out great as well. I do think I have to find a way to keep the breast juicy - note to check video on brining.

Ben & Jerry’s Co Founder Arrested For Capitol Protests. Ben gets it. It’s truly heartening that those with a voice are fighting for what is human and right.

Shame on all of us for allowing an abhorrent government like the Israeli government to get away with the inhumanity they are inflicting on children and a people.

Even bigger shame (and a colossal fuck you) on those funding, supporting and enabling these monsters.

🍳 Greek feast. Biftekia. Mustard potatoes. Tzatziki. Greek salad. Freshly braked pita bread. It all came together perfectly.

Setting things up for the spring and summer.

I really don’t know why it’s felt this way, but spring seems to have taken a really long time to get going. I am reviewing photos from last year and it seems as though last year was maybe a couple of weeks ahead of the curve. No big deal really now that things have begun moving by Mother Nature.

Trying to watch the last season of The Handmaid’s Tale and it’s all just a little too intense and weirdly close to home. Just a little too uncomfortable. Maybe I’ll be able to finish it some other time.

📚 Finished reading: No. 5, Vol. 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto. 3/4 of the way through this but just didn’t really click for me. Maybe if I was younger this might appeal more.

It was at least 15 years too late. I tried to finish reading No.5, but it just didn’t click. Some stories and character are meant for a younger me. Love the art, so going to see if Ping Pong is more to my current liking.

Trafford Watch Co is a company that I have been following with great interest. Their latest Daytripper I-70. My only comment is that $800 it is really up against some stiff competition. I would be much happier to drop $500 or $600 on this, considering it is a Miyota movement and a leather strap.

Scott Galloway vs Rory Sutherland. Two of my favourite internet personalities, in conversation.

Start of the weekend.

🍳 Creamy Mushroom Risotto. This turned out great. A little too much black pepper maybe, but the lemon hit at the end was a wonderful touch. Great meal after yesterday’s lamb meat fest.

Cold coffee season is upon us.

Week 1 - Finished art work from Zane and I. Hopefully we can get some momentum and do the same next week.

And week one is done. Have to give Zane credit for kicking my ass into picking up a pencil again and facing a blank page. One drawing per week. No more. No less.

Art session with Zane. I think we are going to make this a regular fixture in our house moving forward. Great fun.

An nod to the classic Field Notes edition, Grass Stain Green, my spring colour edition.

I never get excited about spring until I start to see the first shoots of green. I’ve seen a couple this week, so give it another 1-2 weeks and spring is officially here (even in the 6 season sense). My step count has absolutely taken a nosedive this year, but it was bloody cold this winter, so really looking forward to being a lot more active in the weeks and months ahead.

Spring book reading. And I’ve got more upstairs. Doubt I’ll be able to get through half of this stuff, but it is wonderful having all this option available to me.

Fixed the bikes for the season. Unlocking is very nearly over. I have yet to see a single green shoot from any tree yet but the weather is getting warmer and I can get out of the house without a jacket or beanie. Been a pretty long one this year.

During our move, I misplaced some of hardware for our outdoor Ikea furniture. Ikea has a replacement parts area on the website. Ordered the missing pieces, which are being replaced for free. Wonderful service.

The Atlantic must have seen how popular David Frum has been recently to The Hub subscribers, so they’ve given the man his very own show, The David Frum Show.

In between all the stupidity and madness coming out of The White House, it’s good to remember that there are some seriously smart people in the US. It’s just that their political system is seriously fucked and can be manipulated by a reality TV parody mafia boss that looks like a 🍊.

This morning was another train adventure with Ryan. Go train out to Rouge Hill.

Carney’s Checkmate. How Canada’s quiet bond play forced the tariffs to be dropped. Now that is what I call a power play. The 🍊and his cronies are so dumb.

This is not a uniquely American problem. Liz Truss lasted less than a lettuce in the UK and did much damage to the economy because of sheer ignorance.

In world politics change requires diplomacy and discussion, not negotiating life a parody mafia boss you baboon.

Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:

Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
—  Arthur Schopenhauer

📍 Big Al’s. One of those pilgrimages for Zane and his fish.

Lovely new design for Blogroll.org. Type selection is on point and the colours are just right for this time of year.

🍊 He’s shorted the market. He’s fucking around with the world. Unbelievable really. Monkey with a machine gun.

This interview with Janice Gross Stein, Belzberg professor of Conflict Management and the Founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, was really wonderful and insightful against why Canadians are really scared of the consequences of this tariff war.

New album by The Weeknd (ok it’s 2 months old, but for me that’s as quickly as I move sometimes). On in the background while I work on my latest article. It’s been too long old friend (iA Writer).

It’s been a brutally long winter. Since moving to the new house, I’ve not really managed to do very much walking, even though our current location has a lot of walking opportunities.

I’ve also not been able to play outside with the kids (in any meaningful capacity) because it’s either too cold, too wet, to windy, too annoying.

But this week it looks like there will be a dip and then after that we are in an upward temperature trajectory. Can’t wait honestly.

Tron: Ares official trailer . Great trailer. Sets tone. Shows something different we’ve not seen before. And the second most important point, who’s doing the music? Nine Inch Nails. October can’t come soon enough. 15 years after the last Tron movie.

📍. Toronto Public Library. New library branch. Wonderful place. Can drive or walk or bike when the weather is nice.

🍊 Around 1,200 demonstrations planned on Saturday in all 50 states. Damn. Most popular president ever! Winning.

📚 Finished reading: Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 2 by Kamome Shirahama. It’s been a while since I’ve read something pretty mindless but fun, in a Naruto sort of way. It’s not serious, but it embodies what Manga does really well, keeping the story and characters moving.

🍊 The ridiculous real story behind the tariff plan. The fringe weirdos controlling the US is just astounding. It is so surreal being in North America when all of this chaos is unfolding.

Hungary withdraws from International Criminal Court during Netanyahu visit. A bigger cockroach than Orban you will unlikely find. Oh wait Bibi.

Literally 8 hours apart.

🌨️ Honestly Canada, I expected a different April shower. Full blown snow storm in bloody April. Enough of this stupid winter already

I couldn’t help myself. Had to get one. Always been a Williams fan, but they’ve not been a great team for over 20 years.

📚 Finished reading: Scalped Deluxe Book Five by Jason Aaron. Finally finished reading this series. Completed 13 years ago. i began reading it when it first came out and Vertigo Comics was still a thriving imprint. Still trying to digest how I feel about that ending. In some ways its just right.

📚 Finished reading: Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 1 by Kamome Shirahama. This was light and fun. Certainly not in the general demographic for this type of book, but it has vibes of Kiki’s Delivery Service, by way of Harry Potter.

Would totally buy this MAGA hat.

🇨🇦🇬🇱🇩🇰 Red and white. In the fight against the big fat 🍊.

What has truly made me stop and take a little bit more note, is what previously would have been considered anathema, a presidential third term in the U.S, is now being spoken as easily as running for a first or second term. This article from Politico, from two months ago, explains how Trump (and Bannon) would go about this.

For myself, this is just astounding and if I was a US Citizen I would be absolutely livid. Not because of this particular amendment being broken. In other countries, having a political leader to run for longer than 8 years is very common, but the Americans have always held their sacred Amendments as untouchable. I would be livid because the frankly unethical Amendment to allow idiots to bear the right to hold semi-automatic weapons as a constitutional right.

The only good thing about breaking this 22nd Amendment would be that the other Amendment would be fair game. But in that world, democracy would have truly been ripped and America would have been plunged into a new Civil War. I’ve not been this interested in what is going on in the news cycle since Covid hit 5 years ago. Make it stop. Please.

📚 Finished reading: Friday Book Three by Ed Brubaker.

🍳 Apple and Butternut Squash Risotto.
Only had beef stock and I think vegetable (or chicken stock) stock would have been better. Also the squash in the mix melted away but didn’t add any colour. Next time roast the squash, blitz it before adding it. The roasted pieces on the top were great. Maybe a little bit more seasoning next time.

🍊 Mark Carney and Mike Myers. Actually want a ‘Never 51’ jersey. Also love the ‘Winter and Construction’. So true.

🍳 Lamb and potatoes in the oven - with tzatziki and Greek salad.
Complete auto pilot on this one. Would have been good with a bit of my fresh pita bread but was busy this morning. Didn’t have a green pepper or feta for the Greek salad, but that’s ok.

🍊 Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz on Trump, tariffs and democracy. The space for thoughtful conversations on what is going on in the world continues apace. Using the tangerine emoji for my politics posts - similar to my ⚽ posts, not everyone will be interested and good for collecting at some point.

🍳 Chickpea Curry.
Another autopilot curry. Had to adapt a little for the kids (no spinach which was annoying). I would have loved to add more cayenne, but 1/8th of a teaspoon was more than enough for the rest of the family. Basmati rice. Lemon wedges with some yogurt and coriander. The only ingredient that was missing was a red pepper. Also brown sugar is a must.

Kinda liking what I’m seeing with the new Pebble watches. Sure still pretty geeky looking but I like the charge it once a month situation.

The train museum led me to Raymond Biesinger (a Canadian artist based in Montreal), which then led me to the 305 Lost Buildings of Canada book, but also all of the prints across North America. It’s really fascinating to me how little regard for historical buildings is given in different parts of the world (Europe being the extreme opposite).

Don’t buy a Tesla. Every time you look at the passion and gritting of his teeth as he does it - he clearly means it. Someone give this guy a copy of Ryan Holidays Ego is the Enemy.

Today is a train themed day. Ryan has always been enamoured with trains (since our time in Copenhagen). He loves watching them go by and is fascinated by them. So taking him to Union Station (on the subway) to check out some trains going in and out of the station. Then we’ll walk over to the Toronto Railway Museum and probably spend a good while in the gift shop (we need some more art on our walls in the new house).

America’s position in the global hierarchy isn’t guaranteed. It can be lost with stunning rapidity when an economically illiterate con artist and a cadre of ideologues are drunk at the wheel.

From The Index article on the new world order.

🍳 Aloo Gobi. This is one of the things that I can typically put together quickly and easily. Full of flavour and a solid vegetarian dish.

Ughhh. Scratched the car getting into my tight ass garage. It was really only a matter of time. It’s a few centimeters on the bumper and honestly just annoying. I guess scratches happen.

🍳 Zaatar Chicken. Muhammara (from scratch including roasting peppers). Turkish Salad. Pomegranate molasses (made it myself this time). This all came together really well. I’m into Turkish food this month, so trying a bunch of Mediterranean food now.

It’s a Turkish cooking kinda weekend I think.

Here we go. New Steven Wilson.

That got dark very quickly. Frum gives a little bit of flavour as to why Trump is going after Canada. It’s nothing to do with the economy, it’s about demographics and racial rebalancing. Totally agree with the thought, too ugly to make a joke about it, to stupid to talk seriously about it.

📚 Finished reading: Tokyo These Days, Vol. 3 by Taiyo Matsumoto. Really loved this series. Wonderful 3 volume edition but the very final punch was how we can all reflect on what the main character is going through as an extension of your own life. Slice of life in Japan. Just excellent.

🍳 Steak dinner. Mushroom sauce is on autopilot mode. Super easy but full of flavour. Got some soft meat (tenderloin) for the kids, but because of thickness was this perfect pink but obviously too pink for Yasmine and the kids. The adults had rib eye steaks. Oven fries were a little cwispy. No greens which I would have wanted.

The Moosehead Presidential pack. 1461 cans. Just enough to get you through Trump’s presidency. This thing is real and sold out for the moment.

🇨🇦 Elbows Up people!

In Conversation with David Frum. Trump’s tariffs against Canada and America’s place in the world. Not familiar with Frum’s writing but some seriously amazing insight in what is actually happening right now.

Yes for unlocking. First bit of decent weather, sun was out and likely can hide my big parka for the season until next year. Patagonia make some incredible stuff (bought 6 years ago and looks nearly new).

Started a new A6 sketchbook. Hoping to just kick start a habit I can lean into in different situations.

Music introduction for the kids, that was a very welcome ear worm for them, Pearl Jam’s Black. Can’t stress how proud I am of the boys humming this in the background all day.

What It’s Like To Be Fired by DOGE: Ex-Gov Employee Speaks Out. Some very dark clouds across the US at the moment. I certainly hope it doesn’t get worse…but in Musk, Bannon and Trump you have the opportunity for some serious evil shit to go down. Democracy has never been more fragile.

Micro.social is one of the best new apps to hit the Micro.blog circuit. Polished and being updated regularly. I really want to contribute an icon to the app, which is on my list.

Canadians not taking this 51st State bullshit. I hope you’re proud America.

The theatrics in the American congress its just incredible. It’s like a personal wank-fest of the 🍊. Some ridiculous rhetoric. What’s super interesting to me is whether this shit ends up with a third term. If that happens, and there isn’t a civil war in America, then you’re the next dictatorship. Watching this bollocks is just incredible. Mango-Mussolini.

Morning coffee routine is now locked in.

I hate being awake during hour of the wolf.

🍳 Cream of Broccoli Soup
Another first. I looked at a recipe online for like a few minutes and then just put it together based on instinct. Turned out friggin great. We also had some fresh naan bread from yesterday which got sliced as strips.

I have been quietly curating a small table of Ontario craft beers I’ve been sampling over the last few months. My only gripe is I wish there was an integrated way in Micro.blog that would allow me to create new tables and let me add new entries to them. I can see myself using this for coffee beans, stationary, films, wine, spirits, chocolate, apps, anything really that I want to sample.

@manton where should I put a feature request? Haven’t done one of those in a really long time…

🍳 Sticky Date Pudding
This was a first attempt. Didn’t use brown sugar (which made the cake lighter in colour). Over cooked it and that made it more cake-like instead of sticky. Flavours were great.

🍳 Butter Chicken and Fresh Naan
Textures were perfect. The only thing I messed up was the seasoning at the end. Should have checked (it’s a classic mistake) but next time will get ahead of that. Also maybe don’t get coriander and stick to parsley for the garnish.

1st day of March means welcome to Unlocking.

There’s an Arabic saying, which goes: ‘Weapons in the hands of shit, is harmful.’

🇺🇦🇵🇸 As an honorary Canadian, I am proud to be firmly against the United States in supporting both Ukraine and Palestine. In both cases the aggressor is clear. The 🍊 is a complete fool who is fundamentally unqualified for the role that he is in. Words and actions have weight and this guy clearly hasn’t got a fucking clue.

🇺🇦 Proud of Zelensky, standing up to a pair of ignorant, entitled, billionaire degenerates.

Had a few Canadian firsts today. I slipped for the first time today. Not a terrible fall but that melted snow turning to ice is lethal. The second first was turning the corner and being met with a full production crew. Clearly a car scene with license plates from Illinois. Gettaoutmywayalready!

Pomera DM250US. Don’t know if I’ll back this, but it does look like a pretty nice focused tool. The sort of thing that the guys at iA would appreciate. Having single purpose tools sometimes feels like the right call. $400 is not cheap for a punt however.

Long Live the Real King!

Last year (today), I had just discovered that they were making a Fantastic Four movie. Now I finally got to see the first trailer. So much to love about this incarnation. The biggest compliment I can give is that this gives me strong Invisibles vibes but with something seemingly more elegant (if that is even possible). The CGI for The Thing is on point. Also the music crescendo is so good.

Andor, Season 2 Trailer. Something to look forward to in April for sure.

🍳 Mushroon Pasta
Yasmine didn’t like that is was very garlic-y. Next time, reduce the amount of garlic. I thought I’d put in too much dijon mustard for Ryan, but turns out that was fine. Also it could have done with 2 boxes of mushrooms instead. Overall though, very good little vegetarian dish.

🍳 Moroccan Chicken
I’m going to log a few other the things I’ve cooked to see what I cooked (to either remind myself when I did it or how often things have happened). This one can be a regular. Used thighs (without skin) and dates instead of apricots. There are a couple of ingredients that I could use (preserved lemons, apricots and almond slivers) that will elevate it.

I don’t always do this but I think I’ve decided on my 2025 watch. First dive watch and only my second Swiss watch. Usually a summer purchase.

That. Was. Satisfying. Just finished watching Cobra Kai and it tied a bunch of threads and ended it on a great note. Sure there was plenty of hokie moments, but it all came together in the end. Favourite part was definitely the ‘No. Mercy.’ line. Excellent and clever writing.

Honestly, could give two shits about ice hockey…but Team Canada thumping Team USA is delicious, just to rub it in that fat 🍊's face.

I’m absolutely going to feel that tomorrow. Spent an hour after work shovelling part of that alleyway with a few of the neighbours trying to get it ready to accept cars coming in and out. Hard work out but also a good community activity. If I had a beer fridge I would have definitely shared while we shovelled some snow. Maybe next time.

Almost Perfect. Always a fan of well put together books. I used to call ‘Creative Breaks’ as ‘Sessions’.

Something tells me I’m not getting the car out of the driveway. Oh, Canada.

📚 Finished reading: Tokyo These Days, Vol. 2 by Taiyo Matsumoto

Before and after.

Taking the kids to the YMCA in a new area has also meant that I get to discover different neighbourhoods and different stores. The Black Canary espresso bar and my new favourite used bookstore The Great Escape Book Store.

❄️ First major snow shovelling. Backbreaking work for a city slicker like myself. 20cm of snow easily around us.

Cobra Kai final episodes are finally out. Fantastic way to get through this snow period.

Kids first snow day ever. It’s February. Two more weeks to the end of Winter and move into Unlocking.

Loved this post by Andy, Why Blog if Nobody Reads it?. Over the years I’ve had my own thoughts about this, best described here and here.

The 🍊 is showing what a real asshole he is eh? If you shake his hand, check for the number of fingers left…

Somehow I had completely missed the existence of Berger Books, the real successor to Vertigo Comics, easily one of the most diversely awesome imprint in comics history.

The Growler – Ontario’s craft beer guide stopped publication last year. Clearly not enough interest in the publication, which I find strange. It’s a well put together guide, with a very dense layout capturing an enormous amount of information. Still I have an issue and it will likely be enough for a few years at least. Would love it if they released the maps so that they can be updated by others.

I’ve currently been binge watching Yellowstone. Great show so far even though nothing could be farther away from my life as the mountains of Montana and all the horses.

Always a treat to get new Steven Wilson work. Wish I’d known about December Skies during December because that would have been the perfect track for that month.

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
— Warren Buffet by way of Benjamin Graham

Seth’s take on the Canadian reaction to Trump’s embarrassing (and complete lack of understanding of how the world fucking works) is why I’m happy to be in Canada - even in the face of economic warfare from an absolute melon, erm sorry 🍊, they have class, something the 🍊lacks in every aspect.

The Twelve Snake is a limited edition from Christopher Ward, that celebrates the year of the snake in the geekiest way possible, and I’m all for it. Definitely pricey and it I had $1000 to burn I’d be there, but I don’t and so won’t, but love to see this sort of thing executed well.

Listening to the Canadian reaction to the 🍊’s stupid tariffs. I’ve always cheered for the underdog (it’s more fun that way) and make no mistake, Canada is definitely the underdog here. This reminds me a little of that idiot Liz Truss, totally inept and unqualified for the position she found herself in. The 🍊 showing his ineptitude.

Now that we’ve moved into the new house I’m going to lean into this video by Maurice about getting all my stuff organised and in the right place. Already got some of the Ikea containers, going to get some Kuggis with the bamboo lids.

ktool (love the name btw) sends newsletters and articles to your Kindle. I like the idea, but I’ve tried this sort of thing in the past (and for free?) and it never stuck.

I have been using an Analogue like system for the last month and I absolutely love it. However Arun’s take of making the cards even smaller is super intriguing and something I might try my hand at myself.

After 626 episodes the Core Intuition podcast is done. Love the commitment and longevity and a reminder that most things have a beginning and an end. Thank you gents, it was fun.

That was a first. Driving in a blizzard. Not fun at all. Had to be done to get some final things out of the other house, only three days left.

One week in the new house and damn if I’m not tired of playing house. Turns out the windows in the new place are terrible and leaky as all fuck. So had to add some film across them and getting some weather sealing tape around the frames. This is Canada, how can your windows be so shit. It’s -20°C outside those windows. Once we get a working washing machine and the shower stops whistling at us when we use it maybe things can settle down a little.

🍺 Roman Candle. Great regular IPA to have. Flavour is subtle and has a good buzz after it.

I think I will starting making an ongoing list of good craft beers. Why not. lets start with the one I am drinking.

The slow hard journey to getting settled in continues. It’s funny but while the Americas is meant to be the ‘New World’, it really isn’t. The future looks old.

📚 Finished reading: Tokyo These Days, Vol. 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto

🥶 Polar vortex. -20°C outside and the wind is howling. 3 days in the house with the kids. Definitely not worth going outside for any reason.

🇸🇪 IKEA has always been a mega stressful endeavour. Add a family to it all and honestly I shake my head wondering why I bothered. The only big news for me was a product got ‘upgraded’ from a hard plastic (which I dislike) to a soft plastic (which I love). We settled on a bunch of things that make like more functional but with the kids in tow…just a nightmare. Zane had multiple episodes inside. Ryan had a mega meltdown outside.

News of the ceasefire is sweet relief. Biden jacking off a wanted war criminal makes him no better. Netanyahu is human scum. He doesn’t know any better. Awful example of a human being. I had thought better of Biden. Now complete with a legacy that has so far killing 45,000 Palestinians.

So. Tired. Today is the first time I have actually felt my age. There were three young lads moving the house for us. Each no older than 21.

🚚 Moving day tomorrow. It’s so surreal for me at the moment. Unlike most of the houses I have lived in, this one has some serious connections with people in the neighbourhood. I would have hoped to have stayed another 2 years in this house. Alas it was not meant to be.

When we have the ball, it’s a game and when we don’t, it’s a fight.
— Manuel Ugarte

Love this quote and why this player is quickly becoming a cult hero.

NATO Phonetic Alphabet Converter is simple but super useful when in the moment you want to get the spelling across.

📚Finished reading: Scalped Deluxe Book Four by Jason Aaron

📚 Finished reading: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Reading The Message by Ta-Nehesi Coates is a really difficult read. Not for how it’s written but the parallels it draws between black America and what is happening in Palestine at the hands by the Israelis. If a nation has done these things to people in its own borders, why are we surprised that it would support the same actions somewhere else.

Fuck Twitter. I noticed that Micro.blog allows you to cross post to Twitter, so I wanted to try it and see the flow. Somehow, in the brief seconds I was on there I found myself watching some Joe Rogan garbage with Mel Gibson talking about blue dyes curing cancer and just rattling off pharmaceutical names like they were characters in a show. What the fuck is happening on that piece of shit of a platform? Die platform. Die you abomination.

Always a good time when you discover a nice little coffee place within a decent setting.

As I look at these five men, I wonder if the world was favoured with better humans, what they could have done to change the world for the better. They are all complicit in a wide range of evil. For me however the ongoing racist and imperialist action against the Palestinian and Lebanese people, in the name of Israeli brutality and inhumanity, makes anything good they might have achieved practically irrelevant.

🥶❄️ It has been absolutely freezing in Toronto this last week. The coldest since we arrived here 2½ years ago.

Honestly America, you guys bringing the deranged 🍊 back into my newsfeed is just a dick move. Now whenever this old idiot has a brain fart and says stupid shit like he’s taking over Canada, Panama Canal and Greenland, it’s everywhere.

I have no idea how this made it into my Amazon soundtrack, but it was a perfect addition. Last Dance With Mary Jane by Snoop Dogg ft. Tom Petty and Jelly Roll. Everything from the harmonica, to the beat in the background. So great.

After a decade of playing around with pizza making, I think I’ve finally dialed it in to my ideal combination. 250g dough and grate the cheese on top (sprinkles more evenly that way).

Finished reading: Scalped Deluxe Edition Book Three by Jason Aaron 📚

The BYD Seal. It was only a matter of time before the Chinese car industry started to produce something that ticks a lot of boxes. It might not have a future in North America or Europe (because of tariffs) but in other parts of the world?

Finished reading: Scalped Deluxe Edition Book Two by Jason Aaron 📚 . Tearing through these at the moment. If you like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Wire, Narcos or anything similar, this is for you.

Finished reading: Scalped Book One by Jason Aaron 📚. Easily one of the best comic book series ever made. Crime noir at its very best, with incredible art. I started reading this when it was being published monthly, really looking forward to finishing this story.

Here are my stats for 2024. Mega year for publishing on my site. No idea what happened in March but clearly I went turbo.

By my own standards I read a lot of books in 2024. Easily my biggest standout year since University I would argue. It was an incredible journey and one I can’t wait to better in 2025 (all this is thanks to the Toronto Public Library system which is magnificent).

Micro.blog played a very helpful role in cataloguing this transition as well. The bookshelf feature while not necessarily a core feature is one that I love to use and engage with.

Personal Finance

The Simple Path to Wealth was easily the most important book I read in 2024. It went straight to the top of my financial books that if you’ve not read you should absolutely do. It was an eye opener and something that I wish I had read 25 years ago. Having said that, some of the necessary financial plumbing to achieve some of the advice in the book wasn’t always easily accessible to those outside North America. Regardless, there is a way now and you should totally make the painful steps to get your finances in order. It took me over 5 months of wrangling and I am still working through a few things, but it is super important that you do this and this book is the easiest way to get you there.

Graphic Novels

Shubeik Lubeik was easily one of my favourite comics this year. It had some stiff competition, as I caught up with Saga which is immense and one of BKV’s best work (which is saying a lot as the man does not write anything that isn’t an 8/10). A Distant Neighbourhood was easily one of the best manga’s I have ever read. For someone like me in my 40s it totally hit the right notes, even though it was set in Japan.

Personal Growth and Hobbies

The Art and Business of Online Writing was incredibly instrumental in how I am looking to continue with my more considered writing on the web. I still believe in what I am doing at Stet, but clearly I am not using the various online platforms to the fullest extent. I read Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. There were some good concepts in there. Seasonality of work and getting a matinee in the work month being two important ideas I will hopefully look to implement. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman was the book I think I needed the most. 2024 was not a year of major production and creativity. Work played a major role in destroying my mental health for a while, the wars in Gaza and Lebanon destroyed my drive because these side hobbies felt frivolous. This book framed things in a way to help me get over all of that. I did a ton of reading instead. I let ideas percolate in my head. It reminded me that it’s ok to have a seemingly less productive ‘season’ if that season was 8 months or more.

Cookbooks

One of the things that I didn’t catalogue are the plethora of cook books I checked out. Ottolenghi’s books Simple and Plenty More were great, Falastin being my favourite. I also bought Chef Jack’s Dig In and looking forward to trying a bunch of recipes in there. I also thought Joshua Weismann’s An Unapologetic Cookbook was excellent (his second book was less important to me).

Finished reading: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 📚

9th of April was when it all happened. I walked into the public library to get a sheet of paper printed and left with a library card and 5 books under my arm. This then opened the door wide for me to borrow and read 39 books this year.

I remember a few years ago seeing some others online ‘claiming’ that they had read 40 books or more in a year and I honestly didn’t believe it was possible.

This year I found out how. When the price entry to a good book is free, then it can become a source of incredible joy (and knowledge) and 40 books is really not that large of a mountain to climb.

The beauty of course is that I am not limited to one way of ‘reading’. This year was the first time that I enjoyed a few audiobooks as well. As long as I am in North America, I have access to whatever I want (not always at exactly the time I want, but that’s ok).

Just rewatched Dune. Complete masterpiece. The sound. The costumes. The visual effects. All wrapped in excellent performances and a tight script. Escapism at its finest.

Josh Johnson on the frenzy around Luigi Mangione. Fun starts around the 14min mark. So very, very astute.

How to Draw Like an Architect. Another one of these look over the shoulder of someone doing their thing and being great at it.

🏈 Watching my very first NFL game. I don’t know the rules or what is going on. Why are some of the players wearing fanny packs? Who are the coaches speaking to through their microphones? Why do the Steelers have one of the worst bland corporate looking logo I have ever seen? What is with the little towels the players have on their side?

🎄 Oh the lies we tell our kids for the sake of preserving the myth behind a man in a red suit. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Message from Irish President Michael D. Higgins. I remember years ago listening to Higgins address the world during covid and being super impressed with his thoughtfulness, warmth and poignancy. This message is no less powerful but for very different reasons. The Irish have endured and come out on top. Here’s to the Palestinians and Lebanese achieving even a fraction of this type of success in the future.

2024 was a lot of things to me and most people I imagine. One thing I believe is that 2024 was not kind. The genocide in Palestine at the hands of the racist imperialist Israeli ethnostate (enabled and supported in full by the morally bankrupt Western governments) remains a particularly harrowing episode in our collective history as humans. These demons in Israel have lost their humanity. Human beings are not meant to do these atrocities to other humans, and certainly not celebrate it while doing it. If you’re an Israeli, or an Israeli-sympathiser that condones the slaughter of babies, children, women and men then you have also lost your humanity and I hope that your way of thinking is something that can be eradicated in the near future. You are the worst of what humanity had to offer in 2024, or even in the last 50 years - and you had a lot of competition. I wish you nothing but misery in all aspects of your life.

American politics continues to fall further down the toilet. Stupidity and social engineering at a mass scale has finally yielded the results that its creators intended. Total unaccountability and chaos to do what is right. People who barely have a grasp of the issues are being given weapons they don’t know what to do with.

Lebanon’s regular 20 year pummelling continues without missing a beat. Every fucking 20 years. I can’t recall a more unfortunate series of events, spanning decades, happening to a tiny collection of dirt. There will always be resistance to evil. The Israelis (and their sympathisers) seem to have forgotten this very simple fact.

All these events have played their toll on me. I am less able to function apart from work. My enthusiasm for my projects feel completely and utterly meaningless in the wake of some serious shit that is happening around the world, to people I care about. This has happened to me before. Part of me is broken, but I want to do something about it.

For 2025, my theme is kindness. Kindness to myself. Kindness to those around me. Kindness to those further away. We could all do with a little bit more kindness.

It took a minute - well actually it took around 7 years - but I finally got the site where I want it across text, photos and my bookshelf. The last two pages have been annoying me for years but it was fine until this morning when it was bloody not fine anymore. I also tweaked the colours a little so that they are both neutral both in normal and dark modes.

Over the last 20 years of playing around with websites I have wondered to myself why I bother spending time tweaking and fixing and sweating the pixel details. I’m not alone in this space as clearly many, many others have the same tinkering itch. It’s an itch that you can’t help but scratching away at. Leave it alone and it will be fine. Not that I spent ages over the last 7 years playing with the design (I would tweak once or twice a year), but my feeling now is that unless there is a major shift in what I do with my site, the design will remain consistent and the same for many, many years to come.

Finished reading: Just Enough Design by Taku Satoh 📚. I don’t tend to read a lot of books about design. This one hit all the right notes. The concepts being Japanese design by way of hodo-hodo. Tiny little book with short essays that showcased the designers thoughts. Loved it because it celebrated some of the best of what I feel is Japanese culture.

The Cure has a new album and it’s amazing. 2024 has been a great year for my kind of music.

🎄Finally work is over for at least the coming week. Have a couple of emails to close out a couple of minor things, but then just total disconnect. It has been an incredibly challenging year but needless to say, a lot of life has happened in 2024. Looking forward to chilling with the kids and doing things that make me happy.

Monument Valley is easily my favourite iOS game series (so much so I have a print above my desk). The third instalment of the series continues the fine tradition by adding a new way of moving around. The colours, design and music remain on point. If I had a ‘complaint’ it would be that there isn’t any merch I can get easily.

Tomorrow is Monument Valley III day. Something like 11 years after the first one was released.

I’m still not up to speed with what has happened in Syria. It feels like a civil war that started some 12 years ago. The rebels lost a few years ago, only they didn’t, rather they came back and managed to take over in a matter of a week? What the hell is going on here? Why now? Not that I feel anything but contempt for Bashar, but the whole thing has unfolded or unravelled during very curious timing…

I missed posting one for 2024, but alas it was a bit of a strange year for the design of the website (went a little maximalist for a while there), back to clean lines that have defined this site for 7 years (?!) now.

❄️ First snowfalls in Toronto. One of my favourite scenes in Mad Men is of course the Carousel scene. Posting photos on my site allows me to briefly jump back and relive a year in seconds. It is one of the most powerful parts of any personal site (and probably the inherent power behind Instagram as well). So much life has happened. 2024 has been a wild ride.

🍁🍂 Do you know what is worse than garbage day? Garbage day when you have to collect all the leaves from around the house. On the bright side only have to deal with it once a year.

Got my winter tire on this weekend. Then somehow the battery in the car just stopped working. Have had to get a booster charger. Car problems have not been something I have had to deal with for years…

The ‘My Soundtrack’ feature on Amazon Music is easily one of my favourite finds related to music I’ve had in years. It’s like I’m listening to a radio station from my teens and twenties.

Success is about selling emotion, not products.
— Mark Tilbury

🍊 I got to say a big thank you ‘Merica for making everyone bend the knee to the tangerine. First up. Justin Trudeau. Feels more real this time that I am actually living in Canada.

How can humanity be so evil and those with the fucking power to do something don’t. I try and avoid things like this because it truly breaks my brain, even more so as a father of two. So fucking evil. The Israeli ethno-state has a lot to answer for. Hopefully soon their time will come to answer for these abhorrent crimes.

For the last 5 weeks we have been hitting the Toronto pavements in search for a house. It’s been a brutal experience. What has surprised me sometimes is the level of mess that we have encountered in some of the homes we have visited. I mean in some cases it’s been really eye opening to see how some people choose to surround themselves with stuff. So. Much. Stuff.

I am a distance from being a true minimalist (or someone who has enough), but so many out there could really do with some Marie Kondo advice.

As I am getting older I am finding that I have increasingly become more and more sensitive to sound. Whether it’s the stuff blaring from the streets or my own kids going crazy while playing it all just impacts me, my thoughts and my mood. I have found that wearing my earphones increasingly more even if not listening to anything (or even not turned on) has helped me manage this a little.

Also my first view of a Zamboni.

First hockey experience in Canada. I know long time coming but worth it.

Every once in a while I am reminded that I live in North America and that there are doofuses in power that have the ability to do things that contradict basic progress. Take Doug Ford’s war on bike lanes. What is this guy’s problem?

Netanyahu ICC war crimes arrest warrant ‘outrageous’ says Biden. You are on the wrong side of history Biden. It’s a shame because you seemed like a man of some integrity. Rather you are the biggest supporter of an odious and repulsive ethno-state.

ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer pair of racist baby killers.

Stick to Football. Easily my favourite way to start a Thursday.

Actually liking Bluesky and the interactions/vibe of the place. Will still obviously be POSSE, but dipping in there and replying to things is a nice way to go (stuck a hell of a lot more than Threads).

America is a freedom to do something. While other developed countries are freedom from something.

Finished reading: Enough by John C. Bogle 📚

☀️ Fresh Monday morning in Toronto. The world is a little better when the sun shines.

This video on the engineering of Venice is an incredible showcase of what the built world is capable of. Constraint being the mother of invention.

What Elon Musk Wants From Donald Trump. Loved the drop in the middle, which should be the title to a documentary about this era, American Oligarch.

Pro Logo Designer Rebrands The LA Clippers. This is totally my kind of video. Someone who knows their stuff, opening their door and letting you see and walking you through how they work.

I just got back from New York and still letting the whole experience unpack itself out of my brain. I’ve flown into Newark airport countless times but we would then head in the other direction towards Princeton. This time was different, we landed in Newark and headed east. As we approached the Manhattan Island, the landscape was a very familiar American highways construction. Looping freeways, lawyer billboards hugged the edges of the roads. The road twisted inbetween trees, that felt different to the ones we have in Canada, these were shorter in stature.

The first real signs of what was to come unveiled itself as we took the bend just before entering the Lincoln tunnel. I caught a glimpse of Bjarke Ingel’s VIA 57 West building (I had no idea what the thing was called but knew of the building). What I didn’t realise was that I was also looking at Hell’s Kitchen¹. The view lasted a split second. I tried to grab my phone and take a pick, but the moment was over as we quickly turned into the Lincoln tunnel.

When we emerged on the other side, the transition to a startling density came almost instantly. Looking outside the car window it took my eyes a little while to fully grasp what we were driving through. A hyper dense city where every block is fully occupied by a building structure from edge to edge. In front of the buildings a slender pavement wraps around the structure. The biggest shock however was the limited space between the roads. The streets could barely fit one car down the centre, with another car width on either side for drop offs and pick ups - or as was exceedingly common, construction.

As we made our way through the chaos, the logistics of making this place function in a reasonable manner began to present themselves in real time. Life here would require an understanding of consequences and compromises. We were instantly given a demonstration. Traffic was bumper to bumper, blocked on all sides. And then an ambulance siren was heard behind us. There was literally nowhere to go. Intersection crossings had to be respected but there was no flexibility to allow emergency vehicles to pass.

The Grid

What totally captured my imagination was the grid. Not only the audacity to create something like this, but also the ability to implement and maintain this grid. It created a space unlike anything I have ever seen. My mind has accepted that cities were messy, organic constructions. Roads wind around as we built things sometimes around the natural world that existed. Sometimes we would tame the land to suit our very specific needs. The common element was that there was no consistent order within them.

Here however was an island that seemed completely flat and where there was a complete embodiment of a grid that was then turned up to the max by building straight up. I have lived in dense areas in my life, but this order to density to scale was a unique combination.

Someone had to wrangle this defining city element into existence. I had to find out more. Thankfully The Museum of the City of New York has collected all this information to celebrate and educate on this very unique city design aspect.

General Observations

• Another defining element of what I imagined New York to be are all the elements that define a city. The yellow cabs were still there, but they did not occupy the same vibrancy I had previously imagined.
• The entrances to the subway stations were inconspicuous, and was missing it’s own identity. Unlike the Metros in Europe there was no unifying sign that invited you in and announced itself. Rather New York has green railing with signs attached to the railings. To my mind this was a missed opportunity.
• New York is a very live musical city. In the lobby of the hotel, on the short cruise boat that took us around, across Broadway avenue leading up to Time Square. Live music was everywhere.
• It’s very difficult to truly appreciate massive structures from up close. So in NY your viewing angles are limited.
• The body traffic was something I had not experienced since I was last in Asia.
• Walking north/south (so crossing streets) became a little annoying. It felt like I was always walking and hitting a red light. Every. Single. Time. Maybe that’s just being in New York for the first time and it feels like that for everyone?
• Its hard to explain, but this density and complete use of every portion of the available grid made it feel less real, made it feel like a theme park.
• There was a little bit of self-importance on display by the locals. ‘Greatest City on Earth’. ‘Mega exclusive club’. ‘Insanely expensive apartment’. This is the kind of language that I have experienced in nearly every city I have been to (apart from the greatest city on earth moniker, that is reserved for American arrogance).

Ok I really hadn’t appreciated how tightly packed Manhattan actually is. It’s tiny and super densely packed…truly unlike any other place I have been to (and I’ve been to a lot of dense places).

🇺🇸Off to NYC. ‘Merica!

The Holstee Manifesto. Definitely getting one of these onto the wall.

Honestly I’m finding it hard to concentrate on my own passions and hobbies because they feel so trivial in comparison to what is going on in Gaza and Lebanon. A building next door to my cousins supermarket got bombed this week. My cousin was in the building at the time. Aside from the destruction one of the girls at the cashiers died. The utter randomness of hurt and destruction continues unchecked.

Aloo Gobi is the only way I will get excited about cauliflower.

The last time I bought Field Notes was 7 years ago. While I’ve been stocked up nicely, I have been hankering for a restock for a while. Should be good for another 2 years. See you in 2026.

I mean honestly, look at those colours.

It continues.

Seeing this monologue by Mehdi Hasan reminds me of what a shit choice people with a conscience have in the upcoming election in the US.

On the one hand you have a Democratic nominee that sees absolutely nothing wrong with what is going on in Gaza and Lebanon - and will continue to enable and support the genocide perpetrated by the 21st Century Nazis (that’s some fucking irony there). The colonialism and racism at play here is just astonishing. On the other hand you have a Republican, who also doesn’t see anything wrong with what is going on, but will likely ratchet up and expand the killing.

Both are distinctly odorous. Given the choice, which I obviously don’t have, I don’t know how I would use my vote. My view is that we collectively cannot stop the killing but what is happening right now, is inhumane and must never be forgotten, by myself or anyone with a moral fibre in their bodies.

The sooner work can be begin to isolate Israel from the world, in the same way the world did to South Africa during the apartheid, the better.

It’s begun.

I’m testing out a new ‘Zen’ mode for my mobile life. I’m trying to limit how long I spend on the phone and focus on things that matter a little more to me.

Reading has generally re-entered my life in a big way this year, which I am incredibly happy about. What I would like to do is create a little more space for writing and drawing again. I’ve taken nearly a year off.

Easily one of my favourite ways to start the day. Fresh cup of coffee, a great book (currently reading John Bogle’s Enough) and a quiet house. Everyone else is asleep.

The video explaining what has been going on in Gaza is truly harrowing. I mean what the fuck is going on in the world where this type of behaviour is not cut outright. Just not right.

It’s not easy to see time. Great post and exceptional graphic on Seth’s blog today.

Mo Hamz is one angry Palestinian, but I love the fact that he’s not going quietly into the night. As long as there are people with this type of energy, Israel will ultimately not prevail. They will however continue to kill Palestinians, until a more active generation stops them.

Finished reading: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel 📚

🚚 Landlords informed us that they want the house back. After two years we’re going to be moving again. Thankfully it’s only within a city, rather than to another country. Silver linings.

“Surrender or starve” plan for war. And the entire world watches as the 21st Century Nazis continue their genocidal mission to extract more land, soaked in the blood of Palestinians.

I’ve spent the entire morning working through my Forever Note stack, and it really is a revelation. A few simple rules of organisation and all of a sudden my dumping ground has become incredibly organised. And fricton of maintenance is really low. Highly recommend you take a good look.

Forever Notes. Super interesting idea. I have tried multiple methods for my notes and none have stuck recently.

Amazing Comics Company. Joe Quesada has always been my favourite artist of all time. The last time he did this was for Event Comics and the main character Ash, which was great. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

Holey money. First time I use the AI feature for text description (using the Mimi Beta), and it really is like magic. Great work @samgrover !

While the situation in the Middle East is absolutely deplorable and shows a chasm of epic proportions between the ruling elite and what they think is acceptable based on race.

It’s not ok if you’re Ukrainian. It’s totally fine and necessary if you’re Palestinian or Lebanese.

I am however heartened by the voices of people I genuinely look up to and listen to or watch. Journalists, writers, activists, helpers, volunteers, parents, mothers and fathers who are not going quietly and accepting this situation.

The latest being Ta Nehisi Coates and Trevor Noah. These people have huge platforms and bring with them a great deal of attention. My hope is that some of that attention is converted into meaningful change.

From a moral standpoint, this genocide will not be completed for as long as there is one Palestinian or Lebanese, then there will always be resistance to cowardice, brutality and inhumanity.

With everything going on in Lebanon, it’s super hard for me to get excited about everyday things that I would typically get excited about. Life’s mini milestones. They all seem super trivial now as I continue (like millions around the world) to watch disaster unfold and not a single powerful country out there to step in and do what’s right.

The world feels like it is completely morally bankrupt and the ruling elite across nations that sit idle or support can seriously go fuck themselves.

Norman Finkelstein and where is this Israel-Lebanon war heading? A masterclass in understanding the endgame. Heartbreaking watching this horrible situation play out again and again, across the decades.

41,000
The number of Palestinian lives lost in the last year.

1139
The number of Israelis that lost their lives in the same amount of time.

The multiplier is 40 (as of October 2024). That is how much more expensive an Israeli life is compared to a Palestinian one. The racial supremacy at play here is simply astounding. This is not ok. This is not right. You cannot carry out or enable genocide and have any moral standing.

How anyone in power can be aware of these numbers and continue to support this deplorable government shows their moral corruptness and callousness.

Elected leaders who support this regime are devoid of any humanity. Don’t talk to me about Putin, anyone supporting Netanyahu is cut from the same blood drenched rag.

To Joe Biden,

Shame on you.
The world deserves a better world leader.

You’ve managed to make sure that Iran is the only power, in the entire world, that is willing to stand up to the morally deplorable and callous Israeli government. Even if it’s fruitless or for show at least someone is bothered to take action rather than ignore the genocide being committed.

Meanwhile you, the United State’s elected leader (which even with your stupid electoral college garbage still means the majority of Americans who bothered to vote), stand behind and support a regime that has only death on their minds. I cannot believe the majority of Americans believe that this genocide is just.

The Palestinians and Lebanese and Syrians and Yemenis and Iranians did not cause the holocaust, but critically they are paying for it in the same manner.

Back in the 1940s America stepped in to stop humanity’s madness. America has now switched roles and is the proxy enabler of the madness.

Politically you are retiring in 2 months, why wouldn’t you take a stand and do what’s right? You have nothing to loose. You’re nearly dead anyway. Before you have no power left, save some lives, even if they are filthy Arab and Persian ones.

— K

I feel that politics have normalised terrible behaviour, which has then emboldened people in power that may have acted with more restraint to simply go unleashed, the consequences be damned. Regardless, world is only going to get much worse.

As the daily news from Lebanon trickles in, one devastating blow at a time, it’s a reminder that social orders don’t matter unless you have the muscle to enforce those orders.

Somehow we find ourselves back at the mercy of the laws of the jungle. Might beats right. Iran and the US are playing their proxy war while innocent people and futures are the collateral damage.

The Lebanese are descendants of the Phoenicians and a Phoenix never dies.

Adrian Newey Exclusive: Why I Quit Red Bull & My Future at Aston Martin. What a coup for the High Performance team. Can’t wait to hear what the legend has to say.

The Godfather is such a great movie. I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen it but every time I rewatch it I’m just totally sucked into the world.

🏃‍♂️ That. Was. Tough. First HIIT session in years and every muscle aches. The first 15min after are not great but feel more energised now. Missed this and actually think that my new app of choice (Freeletics) might keep me going. Let’s see.

Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal.
— Ernest Hemingway.

🍃🍂 Autumn is definitely in the air and I’m all for it. Crispness in the air. The light is a little different, a little lower, less harsh.

Finished reading: The Algebra of Wealth by Scott Galloway 📚. This one was an extension of Scott’s previous book I just finished. However it does go deeper into many economic concepts (so at least you can’t claim ignorance). ETFs similar to mutual index funds are a major part of the answer, but equally there is a lot there about buying property and hopefully using wealth at different times of your life to help you lead a better life. It’s a great book and one I wish I had when I was starting my working life.

More over having someone guide me around these economic constructs (that I honestly have previously had little to no interest in) is another important element in this. I sadly did not have that growing up and until recently didn’t have the inclination to find out more. This is a good book to get you on this journey.

Today morning was a bike day. Went from sunny to gloomy and back to sunny again. Kids have Karate, so that’s the afternoon sorted. Might get a little reading done.

Just finished rewatching Mad Men. It’s a great show, with both great and vile characters. I love the historical context. I love Peggy’s wardrobe. I love the dialogue. Most of all I wonder what things we are doing now will be seen as completely incomprehensible to someone 60 years from now?

I wish I could get A Closer Look t-shirt.

Newey to Aston Martin is massive. The man clearly knows his way to a successful car. Could this be how Alonso finally gets his third championship?

There was a time that I would watch the Apple infomercial when it came out. Even be excited about it. I can’t remember a time I was less interested in what Apple has just released. From a computing standpoint I’m good. iPhone Pro has hopefully years of service in it. My 2018 iPad Pro is still a compelling device, 6 years after it was released. My Mac Mini is chugging along, kicking ass and taking names.

The only take I have is that the Apple Watch is slowly turning into a device that I don’t hate. It’s getting thinner and more rounded and less of a mental burden. It’s only taken them 10 editions to get there.

Easily my favourite time of the year. The weather is shifting. There is a crispness in the air. In a few weeks everything goes bang and the colours will explode. If you live in a country with seasons don’t take it for granted. This is not the norm for millions.

Finally getting back to writing about the built environment.

Finished reading: Paper Girls Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚. I love BKV. He’s brought me hours of joy and is one of the best writers of comics, but this series did not connect with me. I just wasn’t all that interested. Equally I returned the first Incredible Hulk volume by Jason Aaron (another writer I love). Tastes have clearly changed over time and that’s ok.

Finished reading: The Algebra of Happiness by Scott Galloway 📚

The perfect scoop. Lemon meringue from Zuzus.

Fjorden acquired by Leica. Totally missed this news, but pretty exciting news for the Fjorden team. Hopefully this means that maybe the grip will slowly get some material science help from the Leica team to improve the wearability of the grip itself (mine is already showing wear in the corners). Also would be nice to see the iconic red dot on the hardware as well - doubt this is on the cards but one can dream :).

Last days of summer.

First day back at work. I feel refreshed and ready to go. Game face is on, let’s see how long I can keep my holiday calm in place.

Procreate’s Stance on generative AI. Straight to the point and totally on point. Love this company and both their products.

Finished reading: Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed 📚. Great summer read. Can totally understand the praise this work has received. Fantastically original, great scope, well written and drawn. Celebrating Arab culture as it is now (rather than as it was). Highly recommended.

Yes, People Do Buy Books. I also buy books, but nowhere near as much as I read and listen - mainly because of the insanely great public library system. To get into my personal collection, that book has to work overdrive. Thankfully there are those books, but they are the exception.

Just finished reading the first chapter of Shubeik Lubeik, and it was exceptional. Been a long time since I read a black and white comic with such emotional power.

Making The Cut. This year I watched the Olympics with my Canadian hat on (typically I’ll root for the Lebanese, the Greeks, the Brits and now the Canadians). I missed the swimming competitions which would have been awesome to watch. The Canadian women’s beach volleyball team has been another highlight. Shame they missed the gold by a few points.

Part of the joy of relaxing on holiday is being given the autonomy to work at my own pace on stuff that matters to me on a personal level. At the moment I’m editing the BEC (Built Environment Compendium) Vol.2. Back into the warm embrace of the Pages app, which I’ve learnt to love, two pens (one to scribble and the other to highlight) and my thoughts. Happy Holidays!

Summer in Ontario.

I’ve been thinking a little about how I can take in more information from the non-fiction books I read. The first tip I’m going to try is The Blank Sheet Method. The second thing that I’ve discovered is the excellent scanning/OCR feature of the Notes.app. It’s not 100% perfect, but honestly I can deal with the occasional missed word or two. Just one note with the key parts of the book scanned and searchable for the future.

Anyone have any other low friction tips to share?

⛈️ Damn is absolutely chucking it down today.

Big fan of Ottolenghi cook books. I’ve used a few of the recipes recently (one today in fact) and it’s exactly the kind of colour and flavour that I absolutely love. The thing is that these books actually benefit from being physical items rather than entries into an app like Mela (which I love). I tend not to buy many books anymore, because of the whole Toronto Public Library thing, but I might make an exception for these books.

Finished reading: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport 📚. Nothing majorly new in this book (for anyone that has been paying to Newport’s podcast, but its nice to find out about all these stories. I also went for the audiobook and I tend to enjoy Cal on his own.

Even after reading The Simple Path to Wealth, it is clear that across all the different countries and their regulations (and bullshit), governments want to keep you poor. If this was simple then everyone would be able to do it pretty quickly. Rather even after someone tries to decipher it all, there is still an immense amount of friction that intentionally makes things harder. It’s even harder for those of us who enjoy a more mobile serial emigrant lifestyle.

Having lived and worked in seven countries, finding a place that will allow me to invest and keep things mobile is actually an exceedingly small number. The only one that I have found is Interactive Brokers - that is available in all the countries I have ever lived and worked in. I don’t know when they expanded into all these countries (or if they always operated in these countries), but this a massive win and feather in their cap.

Can’t really comment on how good a service it is, but having the ability to move my investments wherever life takes me is a truly unique feature and worth other possible pain points.

The only other brokerage that came up in my limited search was Saxo (out of Denmark) and Charles Schwab, except BOTH are not available in Canada, so I would need to move everything over to Interactive Brokers if we ever decided to move.

Aghori Mhori Mei is the new Smashing Pumpkins album being released this Friday!

My sleep has been truly terrible these last few weeks (months?). On the off chance that my phone had something to do with that, I bought this Alarm Clock (although any will do) and somehow I have been getting a full night’s sleep. It has been a stark and instant change. Now every night my phone which is pretty useful in my bedroom (controls the light and adjusts the temperature of the room) is relegated to being placed outside. Best possible life adjustment.

Finished reading: The Simple Path to Wealth by Jl Collins 📚. What a book. It is extremely US centric, but there are some clear truths here that just need to be adapted and massaged to reflect what is possible to me. I wish I had this book 20 years ago, but then most of the things he talks about would be unattainable in the countries I lived in…but not anymore. Highly recommended for anyone looking to get their financial life in order. Been going crazy sorting it out this weekend.

3 min from our house.

I have long argued that our plastic (and other material) trash is part of our built environment. Not in the traditional sense, but it is something that we as humans have contributed to our world and have built one tiny small colourful piece of plastic at a time. Up-cycling this material has never looked this great - although I do find the price a little steep for what it is.

Yesterday was a fun summer adventure with the kids. Japanese stationary. Japanese cheesecake. Art Gallery. Park. Makers pizza and home again. They went swimming on Friday and Sunday brings football in the morning with the other dads.

I’m currently reading The Simple Path to Wealth, which is probably the best book I’ve read about money. I wish I had this at the start of my financial journey, which then makes me think that this is one of those canonical books I want to give to my kids. Which then makes me think what other canonical books would I give (and read with my kids if it encouraged them to do things better than I did)?

🇵🇸 Time will absolutely not look kindly on the US’s blinkered support of the atrocities in Gaza and more importantly Palestine in general.

Having a war criminal presented as a guest of the state is not a good look if you believe you are on the right side of plain human decency.

It may be half a world away, but this is happening with your support and backing in the face of what we can all agree is just humanly abhorrent. Sort it out. It’s just not right and while things have changed (within the US, as the Arab diaspora spreads), this has been ratcheted with even more brazen and unacceptable violations of human right we all can agree on for ourselves. I just don’t understand why this cannot be a consideration for other human beings?

Endearing accents. Call it sentimental from watching too much American TV while growing up, but today had a short meeting with someone presenting from Jersey and it was thick, which kinda made me smile. In the same way whenever a true Canadian says about, just gives me a little sense of place.

Can Paris fix its poop problem before the Olympics? Through engineering, that’s how. I kinda feel that it would have been better if they had built more than a single reservoir, but alas it would be a great way to make things better 100 years after they made it completely terrible. I imagine this must contribute to Paris Syndrome.

Cobra Kai has been a pretty fun show to watch. When it’s great, it hits some really big highs. It suffer from some poor writing choices, but overall the momentum of the show is great. I also kinda like the fact that they’ve split the last season into three five episode mini seasons. Extends the time artificially but I’ve got something to look forward to for another 8 months. I highly doubt they’ll make a spin off, hard to keep mining these characters.

The ANZA 750S by Monday Motorbikes is definitely my kind of urban bike. The fact you can also get two people on this is pretty awesome as well.

Finished reading: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine 📚. This was amazingly endearing. Quick read but also made me cringe and showed me a window of a life I once craved.

Finally, Presto is on Apple Wallet. One less card to carry. I was just thinking about getting one of those three card wallets. Not anymore.

Power outage map for Toronto today was insane.

Yeah climate change is not real. Flooding across Toronto is perfectly normal. Nothing to see here. Absolutely nothing to see.

🏀 Activity number one for the summer evenings is definitely some basketball. I remember loosing 25kg when I was 16 on the back of this daily habit. Let’s see if I can build that habit again.

I think I can likely get a little bit of my attention back now that both the Copa America and Euro’s is over. It’s been fun following along both the matches and then in a number of podcasts. Having said that I do want to concentrate on other activities, so will only really be following a little bit of Manchester United preseason, which is just to see what’s going on.

Finished reading: Shift by Hugh Howey 📚. I listened to this one as an audiobook (even though I have the ebook of this as well). This story is just incredibly dense and extremely well put together.

🥐 For the last few months we’ve been relying on Blackbird Bakery for our baked goods on a Sunday. Today Ryan asked for the alternative (when presented with the option) and ended up getting the Bisou bakery. French (or French Canadians) know how to make the better croissant.

When the stars align… ⭐ Lionel Messi’s photo shoot with a baby Lamine Yamal. A 20 year old Messi with a baby Yamal. I mean, c’mon.

Not a bad way to start my Sunday.

ProNotes is an extension for Apple Notes. Most notably (for me at least) is it bringing markdown to the app (after a fashion).

Thank You! The montage of all the madness is worth the watch alone.

Really looking forward to playing around with Writebook. I guess could do a Digital Ocean thing, but I kinda would like to play around with this, you know as an indie publisher of books and other text and image based products.

I was about to get the Crossroads watch (by Trafford Watches, but the ‘loud’ Miyota movement kinda put me off. I am however really looking forward to the Touring GMT and the three hand version (that they’ve not announced but briefly showed in the latest newsletter). I like the design language and it’s seemingly a little more affordable to the closest alternative, Farer.

One of the most boring (and thankless tasks) is sorting out all the kids old toys. For the most part we’ve been pretty good at sticking to a lot of wood based toys, board games and Lego. However plastic always makes it into the pile. Still operation reduce is well underway

Saw the first episode of The Bear Season Three. How do you follow-up the season two finale? In an intense way, only this show can do.

Humidity brings out the best clouds.

Another great series by Ed Brubaker. Friday is as good as you expect it to be. Setting it in the 1970s in a fishing town provides the right kind of atmosphere. Marcos Martin brings an incredible clarity to the environment that they are depicting. Just an absolute joy of a series and super excited that the third book in the series is released this summer.

Finished reading: Friday, Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker 📚

Absolutely love the colours in Friday. There is a quiet elegance to the palette used that suits the story perfectly.

God I haven’t listened to Tool in probably over a decade.

Throughline is a historical podcast that is blowing my mind. Impeccably well put together. Makes me want to create audio with any level of production.

Finished reading: Friday by Ed Brubaker 📚

Yeah this is not what we signed up for Toronto. The start of the long weekend (and the kids summer holiday) begins with a rainstorm.

Schools out for summer! I wish I was a kid again for that feeling of free time ahead.

Man. A country of 330 million people and these two guys are the only ones available? Give Biden a cup of tea and a nap. He’s served his time. As for Trump, it’s laughable that he’s still a viable candidate. How did you guys get here…

Watching Biden talk about Palestine is painful. You don’t get a medal for providing a nation with more target effective bombs and weapons. You’ve chosen your side. A side that lacks humanity and you do it for terrible ideological reasons. What is happening in that cursed spec of land is a human disaster no matter how you choose to dress it or where your memory begins. Indiscriminate killing of a people is wrong and their lives are no less precious than someone else. Sort this shit out because you can rather than talking hoarsely about your three point fucking plan.

Serves me right for even attempting to buy something from AliExpress. It was a moment of weakness. A moment of curiosity. You get what you pay for and in this instance it’s a nice watch that doesn’t work properly.

There is something magical about going to your public library and picking up three Ed Brubaker books you’ve not only never read but never heard of (mainly because I’ve been out in the wilderness for the last decade).

In the most white collar ‘injury’ ever, I’m carrying some coffee to the meeting and I trip on the stairs. My knees ultimately paid the price to save the coffee and I am totally feeling it now. Turns out those stairs are a known trip hazard (have caught others out which explains the useless stickers cautioning you). Can most certainly feel the pain now.

Ughh. Uber surge pricing can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Happens to me every few months for no rhyme or reason.

Finished reading: Saints by Gene Luen Yang 📚

Trying to find a small break in Canada is fucking depressing.

Weird ass weather in Toronto this weekend. Yesterday was rain all day. Today has been rainy, sunny, super windy and overcast across the day. It’s end of June and I expect, nay, demand heat and sunshine, all the damn time. Fists screaming at the sky!

Finished reading: Boxers by Gene Luen Yang 📚. This one didn’t hit as hard as American Born Chinese, which I remember (rightly) blew my mind. Having said that I’ve yet to read Saints, so that feeling might be still to come.

Finally got a replacement television for the family. We’ve been using a pretty old Sony Bravia for nearly 9 years now. That’s like 46 in television years.

It always felt like there was something more important to buy than a television. If the old was working, what was the point right? Well the old one stopped working, or at least the volume associated with voices and it became pretty unbearable.

I opted for an LG this time around, mainly on the back of WebOS (although not sure how they’ve ported the old Palm OS to televisions) and the price to features ratio.

The funny thing is that my kids have grown up with this one television for the entire life and I imagine they will have the same memories that I have for my family television set with the wood panelling and grey control panel for the 1980s.

🍦 Yesterday was the first ice cream of the season from Zuzu’s. They’ve changed the menu for the year (which is great) but the surprise for me was Tiger Tail, an orange and licorices flavour. Highly recommended if you can try it.

Today I leant that the single best thing about a Shake Shack burger (the bun) is a Martin’s potato roll and can get them from the supermarket…nice!

Finished reading: Kali by Daniel Freedman 📚. It’s been ages since I read a comic book like this. One of those rare breeds, a cinematic action comic books. Like a paper movie. The moment I saw the cover I knew I was in for a real treat. Everything inside did not disappoint.

I swear flu’s didn’t use to hit me as hard as they do now. It takes my body over five days to fully kick them and I feel exhausted at the end. Linked to getting older or because I’m in this part of the world my body is just not used to it all?

🤒 Day five of this stupid flu. So pedestrian. Blocked nose, but at least no headache and therefore need for medication, so that’s something.

📚 Just finished the second volume of A Distant Neighbourhood. I always knew that the work of Jiro Taniguchi would resonate (based on his artwork alone), but hadn’t realised how much better his work is for me now that I am in my 40s with a family of my own. The beats hit harder. All the things that attract me to life in Japan in the 60s are all present, but now the situations feel infinitely more relatable. Master of his craft and thankfully he has left a massive body of work to loose yourself in.

🤒 Day 3 of this bloody flu. Honestly I’ve been more ill in Toronto than I’ve been in a decade. Thankfully weekend is upon me, just need to get through tomorrow which will another long day.

The previous experiment failed. I tried having a separate status site for short posts but the flow was broken and the benefit wasn’t great, so I’m back to consolidating everything in one place again, under one banner.

Finished reading: Saga Volume 11 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚. Finally fully up to speed with this series. Fantastic series. Exceptional character development. Real imaginative designs for the characters. Exactly the kind of book I want to read in my 40s.

No idea why but decided to start watching House. I love Hugh Laurie in this show and while it’s not tight (22 episodes per season seems excessive) and a little formulaic I am enjoying the first couple of seasons so far.

🍻 It is definitely beer o’clock. Been one of those weeks which didn’t start great but slowly grew into a better place.

🪁 Kite flying.

🪁 Took the kids kite flying yesterday and it was something that really brought me joy to watch (not at the start because Ryan was beside himself having lost his kite the day before), but eventually once they settled into it , 2 hours of running around flew by.

Finished reading: Reborn by Mark Millar 📚. This wasn’t that good. A combination of Millar and Capullo should have been dynamite…. I was not surprised. I certainly wasn’t invested in the characters enough.

Finished reading: A Distant Neighborhood by Jiro Taniguchi 📚. There are certain books that resonate most when read at the right time of your life. This book hits the right notes as someone in his forties being transported to when he is fourteen. So many emotions.

Zane’s early morning birthday party. I guess it’s good because it doesn’t disrupt people’s weekend too much…but it’s bad because it’s an early morning start to a Sunday.

The Bear, Season 3 Official Trailer. Cannot wait for this.

🚗 It’s been a while since I drove for 3 hours. Took a trip to Guelph and saw family and the latest addition which was fun.

I look at my two boys, one just turned 10 and the other 6 (and change) and I’m reminded how quickly they grow. Blink too fast and they’re all grown up.

🇨🇦 Meeting good people in Canada has been my favourite part of moving here. So many good people.

Somehow, 6,666.

MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon. $280 for a pepper grinder is steep!

Matty Matheson is the cooking equivalent of Aaron Draplin! I would not be surprised if they were related somehow.

I Want You Back (The Dropbox Remix). Finally. With this feature I might now have all my notes back in one single place again. Time to do some digital spring cleaning.

🚂 FFS. Why am I always stuck on the train next to the guys who genuinely cannot shut up.

So walking around Montreal, at least the centre and I understand why this city was the ‘capital’. Such a pleasant city to walk around probably because the municipalities have something called taste, a quality that I find distinctly lacking in Toronto.

First time on a train in Canada since visiting 2 years ago. First time all the way to Montreal, so a longer journey, but am looking forward to hunkering down and getting some work done.

Finished reading: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 📚. The book begins life in Toronto, and set in my neighbourhood. Also, as it describes different parts of London and Toronto, I knew exactly what it was talking about. The inclusion of comic books was pure icing on the cake. Great read.

How often do you read two completely different things within a few hours and one cross references the other? Just delving into Station Eleven and it’s talking about Spaceman Spiff from Calvin and Hobbes that I honestly just read (for the first time) 2 hours ago. I mean, c’mon.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. FC Augsburg. Unbeaten across an entire season. Super impressive campaign.

Long May weekend. Thankfully the weather has been amazing. What am I planning? Cooking. Reading. Maybe a little writing and drawing.

Japan’s Lost Decade - An Economic Disaster. Great documentary and something I have always wondered. I remember when Japan’s economy was ranked 3rd after falling to China. Now it has officially become 4th.

📚 Currently reading Station Eleven. It’s a little odd because I keep expecting zombies to jump into the story because there are some serious Walking Dead vibes with Covid-19 memories.

Today was all about the spring asparagus risotto.

Spending some time with different iPhone camera apps to see different features. I will say that night time photography has gotten much better. Turns out the Fjorden grip isn’t very well supported apart from the shutter button.

Finished reading: Saga vol. 10 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚. Loved the pirate ship. Loved Alana’s evolving haircut. This series is excellent on so many levels. Really missed having it in my life.

Finished reading: A Zoo in Winter by Jiro Taniguchi 📚 . Taniguchi’s work always transports me to Japan instantly. I relive my visit from over a decade ago. Except he choose time periods before I was born, so it’s close but not so close. I love his pacing and his line work.

Finished reading: Saga Vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚. Twists and turns that are perfectly suited to the comic book medium.

Ben Elton on his novel Two Brothers. Also gotta love the internet, an interview with Ben Elton from 12 years ago.

Finished reading: Two Brothers by Ben Elton 📚. A truly difficult book to get through, mainly because of the parallels I can see unfolding between what the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians. The mechanics are different, but the result is the same. One group of people with power trying to wipe another group of people from the earth. The irony is too strong for me to handle without spiralling into a dark place (which is why I don’t like to write about this).

Wish I had something like this growing up!

All the flowers.

One of the great things about sampling books from the library is seeing if they are for you. Joshua Weissman’s first cookbook An unapologetic cookbook is for me. His second one, Texture over taste not so much.

I ultimately gave up on What’s Our Problem by Tim Urban. I bought the book on iBooks when it first came out. I downloaded the audiobook, but just couldn’t get through it all. Too much exposition to start with which is a shame as I tend to like his writing.

It’s been such a long time that I’ve really gotten into a novel. Silo was great, and only got better after I had finished ‘Season One’ of the show, but Ben Elton’s Two Brothers has been a thick slab of greatness. It’s also a really sad read considering this book starts 100 years ago and history repeats itself by the ancestors of the victims.

Finished reading: The Moomins and the Great Flood by Tove Jansson 📚

I may have gone a little bit overboard at the library this week, but OMG, I am absolutely loving this!

Travel Book Series by Louis Vuitton. Didn’t know these were a thing, but they look exceptional. Bit pricey, but then again what else would you expect from LV.

A Journal of My Father Jiro Taniguchi on Mangasplaining. Rarely do you find something as comprehensive as take as what’s found on this page. I can’t wait to dig into this because it will no doubt let me dive further into this creator’s work.

Finished reading: A Journal of My Father by Jiro Taniguchi 📚. I haven’t read a great manga in a long time. This one doesn’t fully hit home for me, but there are definitely themes in there that touch a nerve. Great story and execution.

I get it now. The reason for Toronto’s limited bookstore culture is because the Public Library system is the single best thing the city has to offer. An incredible resource that is making my stay in Canada, infinitely more enjoyable.

TCAF 2024’s poster #2 is a more apt addition to the pantheon of posters for this event.

Took 6 kids to the library and got them all excited about books. One of my favourite Saturday evenings in a long time.

Finished reading: Saga volume 8 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚

☕️ Finally got my CoffeeJack gear. Got a whole bunch of stuff that make the coffee making experience that much better and interestingly very little mess.

Well that’s a shame. My new favourite weather app Overlook Weather was removed from the App Store and stopped working. Not sure if this only the Canadian store. Sent the dev an email, hopefully he can reinstate.

New Pearl Jam album, Dark Matter came out 2 days ago. Their 12th studio album. For me Ten is one of my favourite creations ever. I genuinely hope this has similar vibes…

📚 Finished reading: Saga (2012), Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan

Couple of things I am really indulging in is cookbooks. On the docket is Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple and Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. What’s awesome is moving these into Mela. The scanning feature is next level amazing.

One of my new routines is going to the library on a Saturday morning. Browse some books, do some thinking, bring some new knowledge back home. The gift that keeps giving.

The Self-Sufficiency Garden: Feed Your Family and Save Money. This is the sort of thing that I wish I could actually do. Huw Richards (the author) has a number of videos that goes through a typical garden and what it means to grow your own food (and importantly the economics, and it does blow my mind). Food is easily one of our biggest expense as a family.

I’ve started writing a single post on LinkedIn every week. It’s an experiment in publishing online that I’ve not tried before. At the end of the month I’ll have 4 items to compile and add into my newsletter, which can then be replicated also onto my site. I’ve clearly been playing the internet game badly. Time to see if this will make a difference.

I have two setups. One for the workweek and one for the weekend.

📚Finished reading: How to Live by Derek Sivers

I have three apps in my iPhone doc, Drafts, Safari and Soulver. Version 3 for the iPhone dropped. It’s pricey but an insta-buy for me as I use this app so much.

Action shot!

Finished reading: Saga Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚

Finished reading: Saga Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚

Finished reading: Opus by Barry Windsor-Smith 📚

Finished reading: Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚 Tearing through these at the moment. With the next volume should be half way caught up on this series.

Currently listening to Derek Sivers How to Live. Fascinating book that is essentially a modern day book on philosophies for life. It’s packed with many wonderful ideas that I can only imagine get better on multiple readings.

Surreal sitting here on a sunny day in Toronto (after rain and more rain). A conflict is about to begin in the Middle East that has been brewing for a while now. What exactly is the endgame with all of these conflicts? Seemingly there is none.

I know I keep harping on about the public library, but understand that I have never had such an expansive resource that captures everything that I am interested in directly at my fingertips. It’s intoxicating at this stage. Returned three books and got a cook book, which I might actually buy as it already feels like something I would use for years to come as inspiration.

📷 Took a while but I finally got the Fjorden package today. Been waiting on this for months. First impressions is that this really is a very well thought out package that has that tactile materials typically used in cameras. Pairing it was a delightful affair as well. Just need to run through all the tutorials to get the maximum from this thing.

🥘 Last night was a full butter chicken curry with fresh garlic butter naans .I can already see a few areas that can take this to the next level but was a good time.

I am currently struggling with the selection of my next project. Liberally speaking, I have around 12 different projects at varying stages of development. My first thought was to concentrate on those projects that are at a more advanced level of completeness, but that would be a mistake. The more I spent looking at the list the more I realised that what I might actually want to consider is focusing on those projects that could have the maximum impact to those around me, which will then enable me to continue to meander and create more things in the future, because of the knowledge that I am not just creating these things for myself and a few devotees who appreciate and get what I am trying to do.

Over the last few years, I have poured a lot of myself into my the two books I’ve released, Built Environment Compendium Volume.1 and Moon Racket! Ambient Hum. And while I believe that they’re good packages, sadly they have not penetrated an audience. Life is anything but a series of failures that we build upon and learn from. I genuinely believe that we should never dwell on failures. The work that I’ve created is mostly evergreen. You can read it now and in 10 years time and it will be (mostly) relevant.

So with that I have decided to focus my efforts on the following projects:

1. How We Design and Build Our Environment
2. Stet Newsletter

The first project is a something I have been meaning to develop since the summer. It’s partly a manual for all those looking to enter the construction industry but I am hoping to create a number of things that will look to enhance this project. The ultimate aim is to create a really useful resource for those interested to get a better understanding before they dive in and make considered decisions.

The Stet newsletter is going to be a different affair this time around as well. Rather than massive article that delves into a specific topic, I am going to collect different items of interest over the course of a month, sprinkle some commentary and send these out. This time however I am going to leverage LinkedIn this time around as I felt had the most interaction on that platform as it has a larger concentration of the type of people that are more likely interested in this kind of thought.

As I delve into the above, I will likely review and develop two other projects that are actually at a reasonably advanced stage of development, Automated Construction and Built Environment Compendium Vol.2. These projects can ultimately act as feeders into the newsletter while also exercising a different type of creative activity.

I have the same issue with Chris Ware. I can totally acknowledge the craft and design excellence that is on show, but it just doesn’t sing to me.

Also I am not a big fan of the massive tome that collects 400 pages of work under a cover. Convenient, yes. Readable, no.

In smashing through 12 issues of Saga in an afternoon, and reading through BWS’s Opus, it dawned on me, that while I absolutely love/adore BWS’s art, I am actually not that engrossed in his written work. It meanders too much and doesn’t grab my attention in the way that I personally enjoy reading. It’s me not you Barry.

Saga Merch. Not that interested in the t-shirts (slapping a cover, even though beautiful, onto a torso cover doesn’t make for a very good design). However might partake in one of those prints.

🌧️ I guess you can’t have it all. Last few days have been gloriously sunny. Today is a total rain day. Thankfully we made the most of it while it lasted.

Honestly, getting a library card has just opened a floodgate of printed material at my finger tips. The physical books are great but the digital access is just amazing. Having the opportunity to access both easily is a massive gift.

Finished reading: Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan 📚. And the rest of the afternoon was spent polishing off this volume. God I missed a well written series. BKV has never disappointed. Interestingly, this series is now over 10 years old! Wonder what he’s been up to…

Finished reading: Saga Volume 2 by Brian K Vaughan 📚. That was pretty quick. I’ve had this in digital form for years, but the second I opened up the familiar format, I tore through it in an afternoon.

The latest instalment of The War on Gaza, from Joe Sacco, is totally on point.

An easy example of what makes me in awe of the work of BWS. His narratives however are harder to align with (sometimes).

Finally got my library card. Only took 18 months to sort out, but what a pleasant experience. Got to print something out and walk out with a rare copy of Barry Windors-Smith’s Opus and the first few volumes of Saga. A total of 7min walk from my house.

MILESHIPS - A narrative art book by Ian McQue, is now on Kickstarter. Big fan of Ian’s work, so it’s nice to see something physical out in the world (via the always delightful Meanwhile newsletter).

First day of my staycation. Nothing too crazy as the kids were home (PA day combined with Eclipse day). Highlight for me was the Moroccan chicken dish I made. It was excellent. What made it special was I noticed a flaw in the recipe (minor way of extracting the maximum flavour from the aromatics). So made the tweak and was rewarded for listening to Chef Jack.

While listening to Cal Newport’s latest podcast episode, he mentioned Jonathan Haidt’s new book The Anxious Generation (which is how social media is impacting kids) and the interview with Tyler Cowen that looks at this from both sides. Can’t wait to get stuck into both.

First signs of spring are beginning to sprout.

🌞🕶️ Honestly, throughout the day it was totally overcast here in Toronto. Come 5:30, sun is out and not a cloud in the sky. So annoying.

2024 Total Solar Eclipse Broadcast from NASA. Its hit Mexico, so a few hours to go before it hits America and Canada.

Can’t remember when I bought The 99% Invisible City, but this week away from work I started reading it and the first chapter/nugget was something I noticed on my walks around Toronto yesterday. Orange markings everywhere, denoting telecom lines.

A metric ton of spring cleaning happening at the moment. I have to get rid of so much stuff, but been moving across the house in a methodical manner. Tomorrow is when I put everything that needs to go in a pile.

😎 Today was an incredible day of sunshine in Toronto. Spring is definitely nearly here.

ustwo games is rightfully celebrating 10 years of Monument Valley. It was an important game for me, so much so I have a print framed above my home desk. Can’t wait for MV3.

So I’m at Dark Horse Espresso Bar in Toronto. Barista, really not great. Coffee is from a company called Detour (roasted in Hamilton). Got myself a bag of Costa Rican beans that had an interesting profile - no idea how strong or weak it is. Really appreciating the information given on the Pilot Coffee bags which is perfect.

Been binge watching Come Dine With Me Canada. Really have missed this show and seeing a window into Canadian culture has been fun.

This Definitely Maybe print made me look. Keep seeing it behind Ste on his videos. It’s a cool line and hits my handwriting happy triggers as well.

Love this Seiko Kitchen Timer. Definitely in black.

The Overlook Weather app is a super simple but effective way of visualising the weather across the day. Widgets rarely make it onto my Home Screen, but this one was easy.

A Flag for Me

Emigrant: a person who leaves their own country in order to settle permanently in another.

This particular image of Pangea¹ image made the rounds over a decade ago and has always stuck with me as a powerful idea given form. A world that is seemingly freed from natural borders. Squint a little and you can almost completely imagine the manmade borders blending away into nothingness. This is the world that I wished existed with respect to allowing people a way to roam and discover and make better lives for themselves.

When everything is interconnected, there is no possible way for you to be able to patrol or even try and control borders. It would be a completely useless exercise, in the way that Europe discovered back in 2015.

How would this world have developed differently with these new proximities and new borders. Imagine having the opportunity to travel across Pangea. What an incredible tapestry of human discovery that would allow. Then imagine the connectivity that would be possible. Would the world feel smaller or larger? Would we feel more connected or distant to each other?

At this moment in our collective existence, Earth does not resemble Pangea. Earth is separated by oceans, rivers and mountains. Humanity broke through these barriers, first across the sea and then in the air. Sadly humanity then decided to build other barriers in their place. First in the form of barricades walls and more recently in the form of paperwork and immigration laws.

To create a sense of unity for a collection of people, boundaries were drawn on a map and a flag is drawn high in the air to help those feel further connected. It’s a strong and emotive piece of design that connects a culture and represents ideologies and shared histories. People rally around the flag because it helps them visualise something otherwise nebulous and difficult to explain. Us. This flag represents Us, not them.

As I have travelled the world, I have tried to experience Pangea in my own way. It’s seemingly not as smooth if all the bodies of water were connected but I have been allowed to roam. In that movement I have strayed increasingly further away from the flags (and cultures) of my childhood. For a while I hoped to adopt a flag from any one of the countries I have lived in, only to realise that this was ultimately a futile effort. As my time in each country drew to an end so did the flags glow in my life.

For years I have wanted a flag to rally around that I can take with me wherever I went. A flag for emigrants like myself. During the last decade, a couple of new flag designs have been released to great fanfare that ultimately did not fulfil this gap for me.

The Refugee Nation Flag

When it was released a few years ago, I thought that the refugee flag perfectly captured the essence of something that anyone escaping their country on a boat would forever relate to. Clearly however this particular flag was not something that really represented my pampered emigration lifestyle.

As much as I love this design and what it means, it is not my flag.

The International Flag of Planet Earth (IFPE)

I was excited for a while to see the International Flag for Planet Earth making the rounds several years ago. However the purpose of the flag, while novel and awesome, addressed a purpose I was not looking for. This is for a future Star Trek world that has moved beyond some of the very basic issues that we are currently grappling with back here on Earth.

I love the deep blue colour. The symbology in the middle however is a little lost on me. It’s not emotive enough to capture my imagination (in say the same way that the Olympic rings definitely do, although I certainly prefer the monochrome rings rather than the original coloured version).

This flag was also something that didn’t address my needs either.

The Flag of Pangea

From my own perspective, I have settled on the fact that I am a proud serial emigrant. A subtle nuance that likely nobody really cares about but one that I am more than happy to make and shout about.

And so, I challenged myself to create a flag that represents people like me. People who look to break through both natural and manmade boundaries and barriers that have been erected. A flag that represents people that move from one country boundary to the next. A flag that represents emigrants and those travelling the world as though it were Pangea.

This flag is not intended for a state with borders. This flag is meant to be flown by those of us who travel the Earth, emigrating from one place to another.

What does the flag stand for?

The flag itself is represented by 3 specific design elements:

1. The Colour
2. The Compass
3. The Angle

The Colour Blue

The colour blue signifies freedom. The freedom to move and the freedom to travel across the world.

The colour blue also signifies our planet. It signifies the blue seas and blue skies of travel that allow you to make significant moves as an emigrant.

Going for a blue colour was not a difficult decision. While I did play around with a few colour ideas, the only question in my mind was what shade of blue I would decide upon. I did consider playing around with gradients, but that would likely break a few vexillological rules. It’s not the first blue coloured flag in the world, and certainly not the first with white accents on it. I did flirt with the idea of having it a darker blue but felt it gave off too much of a Scotland vibe which is not what I was looking for.

In the end I decided to concentrate on the colours that calms me the most. The blue you see on a clear day. Not a cloud in the sky. The future beckoning you to explore the world that you live in.

The Compass

The pointed cross symbolises the 4 points on a compass, North, East, South and West, signifying the ability to choose your path and overall destinations.

An important consideration for the design was replicating iconic flags like the Swiss flag. It has a design element that is bold, strong and easy to identify from far away. Contrast plays an important role in helping define the design. The key element on the flag went through several iterations. Originally I was considering using a circle to identify the Earth itself with the angle (more on this in a bit) creating an interesting juxtaposition of shapes and colours.

The issue was this it just was not iconic in any way. It did not offer the same level of contrast. I quickly settled onto adding a compass element. Testing this out with an 8 point star, this felt busy. Keeping it to 4 points felt right, but at the same time, too simple. It did not bring with it enough of a story. This is where I combined the best of the original ideas with the new compass element and put the compass at an angle (I promise I’m getting there).

The final piece was moving away from an abstract compass, into something that was a little more explicit. Adding the internal elements of a compass was something that was subtle enough but provided the right amount of character to make it crystal clear what the design was representing.

The final piece of the puzzle was deciding on the size of the compass itself. My original thought was to split the entire flag in half, thus accentuating the angle itself. Making this smaller looked better, as it better expressed that the world can stretch in all directions.

23.4°

How do you encompass everyone on the planet and their cultures that differ to vastly? By including a 23.4° angle. This angle mirrors the Earth’s axial tilt. One of the most important elements of science in our world that gives us our seasons and many (most?) of our cultural ideas. The angle is a celebration of our Earth and importantly the culture that we have created based on the gifts that it has provided.

Use and Licenses

Ultimately I want this symbol to be used by a community of Emigrants, like myself. I imagine a time when I will be able to offer physical representations of this design that can be used proudly.

My intention is to release this under a Creative Commons license, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

I will be sharing all the files soon with a set of ways to use it proudly and spark the conversation.

My ultimate wish is that maybe sometime in the future we can live in a world that while does not represent Pangea physically, at least is open for people to travel freely. A place that represents the ideals of this flag. A place where I can finally answer the question, ‘Where are you from?’, with the simple answer, ‘I’m from here. I’m from Earth.’

Infinity Pro Magnetic iPad Stand & Holder has certainly caught my attention. Over 5 years after buying the iPad Pro, I’m still using that machine and finding interesting new ways to use it. Incredible piece of technology.

Took the kids for their first lessons at the YMCA today. Swimming and basketball. Every start is slow but I really hope they keep at it.

🍳 Finally got a non-stick pan after nearly 10 years of using a stainless steel pan exclusively. This one is dedicated to eggs exclusively.

Oona and Gage Brown ice dancers, to Nothing Else Matters is an absolute experience. The camera work on the video is also nothing short of spectacular.

The best camera is the one you have on you.

🎬 Just finished watching Ford vs Ferrari. Great movie.

Slow evolution of the flag. I put this one through the kids filter and seeing the compass was an important distinction that it just clicked (while the previous abstract version did not).

I’m sure I’ve posted this acapella version of the Game of Thrones theme song previously. Love this rendition so much, especially the limited dialogue they’ve incorporated into it (an awesome addition to the theme…I had to go back and double check if the original ever had this in there…of course it didn’t). But more than that, I miss a universal hit where everyone is buzzing about and talking about and a true highlight of a week.

Really loving Flags for Good, which has a ton of stuff that I want to support as well.

Anders Erickson merch. Big fan of Anders and his style of video and learning about drinks. The bear logo is also excellent branding.

Weekend is finally here. I don’t typically live for the weekend, but this week has been pretty rough on my health. It’s also been a brutally cold week as well (thanks Canada, it’s meant to be Spring)…no it’s not, but we’re nearly 50% through Unlocking.

First Espresso in Space. This is soo stupid it goes all the way around to being brilliant.

Sector Dive GMT, The Pen Addict Edition. Didn’t see this coming. I like the poker chip bezel and the GMT dial options.

Proton Mail App for the Mac. Oh hello, this actually a thing!

Really enjoying The Installer newsletter on The Verge. Kind of a tech version of Recommendo.

Left my seat for 5 min and come back and 2 goals have been scored in a matter of minutes. Pfff. That. Is. Annoying.

Diaz man just totally owned the team on the left. He’s a real problem.

Finished reading: Wool by Hugh Howey 📚

Although pretty expensive, at $300, the Apollo Flashlight from Tactile Turn is like a buy it once and hopefully forget about it type of purchase.

For a while now I have been claiming that I am an atheist…but maybe that’s not right. Maybe a better term to use is that I am a Secular? Maybe that I am a Humanist?

Can’t decide which one of these prints from Francisco Fonsca I’m going to get. They’re all amazing.

Working on something that’s been on my mind for years now.

🎵 Help in inhale. Mend it with you. Then we’ll come down. Have a hangover. I think I’m dumb. Think I’m just happy.

This Hanhart Pioneer One looks amazing. My only issue with it is that there is no option to add a steel bracelet. But the legibility, the massive crown, the details on the watch face are so unique it’s hard to resist.

🦷 Fuck me. Had my tooth extracted because it got infected…what an experience. Highly recommended! Channelling Pep, ‘More than you can believe’.

😎 18°C in Toronto today (forecast). In March.

I am really struggling with this whole changing of the clock thing. Maybe because my internal body clock is all over the place anyway?

The weather in Canada is proper crazy. Snowing today (and -9°C). By Wednesday it will be sunny and +17°C.

🏳️🟧⬛️🟧

Oh daylight savings. How I’ve missed you stealing an hour of my life. So stupid.

I have absolutely missed writing articles. Formulating a series of thoughts and working through them, chiseling away can be a real source of joy.

Took the kids to jump their hearts out at an indoor trampoline park. It’s a rainy day and they need to get their energy out for sure.

Been writing my weekly article, which has reminded me of what I have enjoyed in the past of crafting something a little longer. Will be nice to have something substantial published once a week.

Got to play a little football (soccer) with the kids today. I was ‘coaching’ the underdogs, but really loved it. Team was loosing by 9-2, so joined the team and while I didn’t score anything and stayed mostly in goal, the little ones did us proud and won 10-9. Makes me feel like I should get more involved in coaching.

Got into an Uber this week. Was asked the same question I am asked every single journey I take, ‘Where are you from?’ I answer it differently depending on my mood at the time. Yesterday I was in a feisty mood clearly. I should try and write something more substantial.

It had a good run, but I am sooo over being precious of TLDs.

Bit the bullet and got a new domain name to replace my Stet.Build domain name. I’ve always been pretty frugal with domain names, I have two registered, this is the third, but will let one relapse in August after 6 years.

Using the Astropad setup for the first time. One of the nice things is that there is an element of natural wriggle in the line. It is different.

Taking a much needed day off. It’s March break next week so might take some time off then as well…

I’ve got a couple of orders in for products that are in manufacture at the moment. What this tells me is that there is a reasonably bad planning on the side of the creators. You know Chinese New Year will impact your deliveries, so you make sure you have your 1 or 2 orders of the year, well before then. Otherwise you’ll be disappointing people that may or may not want to wait 4 months for something. Once you are outside the Kickstarter frame, you are meant to be a big boy, with big boy trousers. Learn to wear them.

Solskjaer interview doesn’t really give much away…I was hoping for a little more tbh, but nice to see him again.

Clear was updated to version 2.0 a month ago (haven’t used the app in ages) and now it’s free. And really customisable.

New iPhone 15 Pro Silicone Case. The sunshine one looks perfect for the summer.

From next week I think I’m going to concentrate on writing one article per week about a topic which is then posted on a Sunday. Throughout the week I’ll be posting random things on this site as it really fits that mould.

Nearly forgot. Winter is over. Happy Unlocking everyone.

Been reading Silo very slowly but 2/3 of the way through the first book and it’s caught up with the end of Season 1 of the show. Book is much tighter than the show.

People in Toronto are slowly coming out of hiding. The weather is a little more forgiving so there is more life on the streets.

So many dogs with docked tails. A real shame.

Stupid celebration as well. Idiot with a gun…that’s not really gun. Ah man Onana could have had it, so close.

That is sooo annoying. Seriously.

Fucking Foden.

What? Why is Antony coming on….for Rashford? That seems ridiculous….

Halland’s face after missing that sitter was priceless. I’m sure he’ll have more opportunities in the next half…damn that was intense.

Pep flirting with the officials!

It’s handed over to City far too easily. Far too easily.

Great save from Onana. Solid bloody performance so far.

Halland pretty quiet at the moment.

Bruno has been good. That was a great ball for Rashford.

Massive save Onana!

Jonny Evans doing really well at the moment.

Good pressure Bruno!

What a fucking goal! That was probably one of the best looking goals I’ve seen by this team.

Please tell me this is not going to be 90min of defence from MU…that would suck so hard.

That is some serious pressure in the first few minutes.

Here we go! MU will likely get slapped.

🔴🔵. All systems go.

Pilot Coffee Roasters is allowing me to really get into different types of coffee from this part of the world. I’ve always believed Costa Rica produces coffee that hits the right notes for me and honestly the current selection does not disappoint.

It is not going well for Brighton. Fulham on the other hand are looking pretty strong.

Liverpool with a smash and grab :). Gotta get those to keep on top.

MW75 by Master & Dynamic. And here I thought the Apple Pro Max (or whatever they call them) were pricey cans.

Roast Magazine is clearly a magazine that is what I would love to have created myself.

Supernote. Oh my word. What the hell is this? I don’t think I’ve seen this before but it now officially on my list of tech to buy this year.

Maybe it’s the changeable weather but I’m sick again. Soo stupid.

KUKU Maker uses a novel way to make coffee. Still on Kickstarter, 50% off. Tempting but for the $700 price tag.

PITZMANN II is an interesting looking watch from Korea. I would go for the blue dial, but tbh I would probably lean into a Christopher Ward or Farer…

World’s Fastest Camera Drone Vs F1 Car (ft. Max Verstappen). What a great project, one year in the making to create some incredible footage.

🤒 It’s the third time in as many months that I feel ill. This is so stupid.

Simple Scan is a new(?) app from Agile Tortoise. The icon isn’t great but looks like another solidly made app.

When I joined Micro.blog, over 7 years ago now, I rediscovered my love for writing on the web again. Micro.blog has a simple interface that doesn’t care what the number of characters you intend to use or whether you want to use a title or not. Just write and publish. The freedom was liberating.

This has worked well for me but I was recently finding that I would self regulate some of my output. I felt like sharing some random thoughts throughout the day which felt out of place on my site. I tend to like to capture certain kinds of thought that I share. Hobbies I am getting into. Discoveries I have made. Kid related activities. Things that I can come back to in the future and relive.

This other stream of thought felt more ephemeral. Fleeting. Captured because I will forget them and writing them and publishing them allows me to give them a little bit of weight. Last year I got a Status.lol account and this seemed to scratch this itch. The issue however was that I didn’t own the output. Enter Micro.blog’s new pricing model, I now have the option to have up to 5 sites. I sorted a Status site that does what my Status.lol was doing.

I get one notification on my phone. It tells me how much more sunlight we’re getting in the day. I get it when I wake up and it puts a little smile on my face. Soon I’ll be turning it off as the number won’t really matter.

Jose’s Football Round Up. I wish Connor did this on a weekly basis. Someone needs to pay him to do this.

$22/month CAD for the new Atoms app by James Clear. What a joke. Totally out of touch with value. Just crazy.

Back to walking to and from work. It was hard-ish this week (in that I felt it) so hoping that this gets easier in a month or two. Hopefully I can get 4 months of this.

🐶 Maybe it’s because I tend to take the bus to work, and today I’m walking, but ALL the dogs are out today.

🌞 Genuinely glorious day in Toronto this morning.

Alright. Winter is ‘officially’ over, at least in my mind. Time to get more activity and less food. Stress levels down. Let’s go.

Season 2 of Mr.Robot started slow for me but by episode 7 it was showing its genius. Great show that you need to trust that it will reward you with good story development. Because it will.

An internet star is born. Zane’s start to making videos (2 more than his old man ever did).

Been a while since I’ve listened to an episode of Pod Save the World - easily my favourite news related podcast. I have mixed feelings about the ongoing war in Ukraine (and Western rhetoric) when you juxtapose that against the war in Gaza. Both senseless and a tragedy to those in these countries. My issue is with the Western governments that support Ukraine and Israel at the same time. One is the aggressor while the other the one doing the aggression.

What the hell is the FN Pen 2.0 by Stabby Labs. Deeper dive needed…

That took a while to get a goal. Chelsea could have buttoned this up ages ago, but they certainly didn’t rise to the occasion.

Extra time. How is that possible with so many sitters. Crazy.

Gallagher has all the chances in the last few minutes.

Maybe I spoke too soon on the score. Penalties anyone?

Yesterday was brutally cold. Took the kids out to get a pastry from Le Beau and could not make it home fast enough, even though it was barely a 5min walk. Kids (and probably myself) looked like we got slapped silly with rosey red cheeks. Thankfully that cold is subsiding this week.

There is something liberating about having a dumping ground of a site. Where the posts can be ephemeral and fleeting. They are of the moment and that’s it really.

The Farer Foxe (World Timer) looks amazing. Although not in the market for a green watch dial, this thing is amazing.

🍳 Sunday means eggs for breakfast.

Ok but of internet-ing done this morning. Shiney new status log that I can capture randomness.

That’s not great. Just noticed that the price of the Stet domain has gone up in price. I was already not particularly happy with the price I was paying for it, so will likely switch to something else when it expires in August.

I seem to have missed this announcement entirely. They had me at Cousin. Also not heard of Wesley Burt, has some strong Phil Noto vibes in there.

The last 6 months have been dedicated to a major project at work. It’s been both satisfying and incredibly taxing period that I will look back on with some fondness and relief that it’s over. It has taken a hit on everything else in my life, so I’m really looking forward to putting my head up again and seeing what else is going on around me. Timing is great as the weather is slowly turning a corner and looking forward to the start of unlocking.

Of course someone like Joe Sacco would be able to deliver something meaningful about The War on Gaza. I try to keep away from this subject as it really does take over my mind and I cannot disconnect from it.

Logo Rhythm by Jamie Ellul. Haven’t backed a Kickstarter in years. This might get me out of retirement.

Astropad have released version 2 of their Rock Paper Pencil iPad Screen Protector and Apple Pencil Tips.

Was looking to buy this a couple of weeks ago, glad I waited.

The BIRD¹ brewer costs a cool $360 (US) and introduces the world to a unique brewing mechanism. It is a cross between a French press and an AeroPress, made from premium materials and looks to bridge a brewing gap between pour overs and espressos.

This review from Lance Hedrick pits it against a whole bunch of alternative brewers trying to replicate the outcome (some using a similar-ish method, but none as elegant, or quite the same). The quick take is that while the profile can be replicated with other techniques/brewers, none as elegant as the BIRD.

It is currently out of stock- which does not come as a surprise. Smaller businesses, whether they are micro-brand watches, stationary, iPhone accessories or in this case coffee brewers typically have this issue if they have anything remotely successful.

Even the birds are confused by the weather. It’s the middle of February and I can hear a bunch of birds chirping away in the background. It’s spring already? Nope. Not yet.

Apparently Sprudge is one of the big websites surrounding coffee. It’s not the best put together web experience, but it does have a few interesting elements. Firstly, they are the Apple Maps guide to coffee (already bookmarked a few places in Toronto), and there is a book, The New Rules of Coffee, that I’ve just ordered as well (breaking my no new books until I’ve finished reading other books on my list self imposed rule of 2024).

Spent a little time this morning exploring the coffee industry websites. Fascinating to me that there is a ton of industry information out there, but I wasn’t really able to find the Daring Fireball of this industry…

Always leave the house, no matter what the weather is like and try and clear my mind.

Got outside when I don’t know what I want to do.
When I don’t know what project I want to work on.
When I don’t know what book I want to read.
What show I want to watch.
What food I want to cook.
What podcast I want to listen to.
What post I want to write.
What picture I want to take.

Just go outside and let the fresh air do its thing and clear the fog.

Hover bill just got paid and I was reminded that this site is 7 years old, which is pretty wild to me that I’ve totally stuck through it all and the site has become and important outlet for me. It’s all life related posts but I guess that is the whole point of a personal site, capture what’s important to you at the time and pass it on to your future self.

Definite bonus being some others might be up for joining you a little along the way.

Signs of my age I’m sure, but while I’ve heard of Taylor Swift, and keep hearing how she’s ruining the NFL (or whatever), I could not name you or hum a single song by her.

Moon Racket! February 2024.

Not sure when this happened, but the addition of page assist to Procreate is such a natural way to creating comics. Just an incredible application that continuously removes friction from the creation process.

Working on the February strip. I am looking to add some backgrounds, so will try a few options to see what some regular elements might be.

Have heard a lot of great things about Mr.Robot, so checking out the first few episodes and it hasn’t disappointed. I like the fact that it appears to be pretty self contained 4 season series.

Toni Cornell Performs Stunning Rendition of Peal Jam’s “Black”. That is a hard song.

Every year in February I watch Groundhog Day. And every year Yasmine asks me why. Its such a great movie.

It took a while but finally got the kids Nintendo Switch repaired (the HDMI output was not working on the Switch itself). They can now play on the main screen (which itself is definitely due an upgrade).

On further consideration the Fjorden Pro actually might be a better call because it works like a normal camera (half press to focus etc). My only gripe is the disc battery which is not the most elegant solution but I guess the functionality that you get is worth it?

Seriously eyeing the SnapGrip. What I like about it is that it has about three functions (battery, stand and shutter button).

Year of Health

Although not written about this, until now, 2024 is my year of health. I’m in my 40s so it’s important that I give this aspect of my life the care and attention it deserves. Health includes mental and physical health, but for the moment there is a little bit of a focus on the physical side of things. I am looking to introduce key products that can slowly help me in this direction.

The first was a smart digital scale. What’s fascinating to me about this technology is that it’s able to record my BMI, water content and a slew of other data points.

The one data point that has really stuck with me is my metabolic age data point. Needless to say my body is indicated as older than I actually am. This single data point is enough motivation for me to really take my health super seriously.

The other data point is my water levels. Not a surprise I have less water than is within the ‘normal’ zone. So I’ve gone and bought a YETI bottle (the large one) so that I can keep guzzling water throughout the day.

For both of these things I’m going to concentrate on tracking trends. Don’t care how much, just as long as everything is trending in the right direction.

Vitesse Brief by WaterField Designs has jumped up on my list of briefcases I must get in 2024. I am such a sucker for great bags and the navy one is on point.

Listening to Toni Cornell’s Far Away Places. The girl gets soo much rope from me, but legitimately she does not need it. She’s inherited her dad’s pipes.

Testing LinkedIn Crossposting. Failed.

🎨 Just chilling out with Zane on the couch watching Bob Ross doing his thing.

The first casualty when war comes is truth.
— Hiram W Johnson

Cooking points unlocked. Took me all week.

It’s subtle and you can barely tell at the moment, but look closely and you can see the sun is coming out a little sooner and the light shines earlier. Its subtle.

🔫🌹🌹🔫 Chinese Democracy is by far Guns’n’Roses best album. Even though released in 2008, the sound transports me to being a 15 year old.

While it’s easy to be down on humanity, think of all the music, the art, the writing, the comics, engineering, architecture, video games, software, characters, worlds, excellence that is found throughout the world in all kinds of forms. It’s sometimes all to easy to focus on what is wrong and forsake (or certainly take for granted) all the magic that we can create.

Meal prep for the week. I’m really loving creating a whole slew of dishes and sneaking a few portions as food for another time. The freezer has 4 different dishes ready to go. This is No.5 and I have another veggie dish tomorrow (soaking the lentils today).

Been getting into a bunch of curries at the moment. Did a West African beef curry yesterday and a Korma today (although was missing some cashew nuts). Have some cool stuff to look forward to making this weekend so that all the cooking for the week is done.

Looking to get Zane into game development…but where to start? Any suggestions that have worked and stuck with kids?

I absolutely love Barry Windsor Smith. His art takes me back to my early teens and discovering comics. You could tell that this was a master (30 bloody years ago). His Eisner winning GN Monsters is a bit of a slog. The story and the characters, 150 pages in, are just not landing for me. It is incredibly well illustrated though.

Finished reading: Love & Vermin by Will McPhail 📚

Currently reading: What’s Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies by Tim Urban 📚.

The Antidote is an interesting book, but only when the author is writing about his experiences with different people or going on an adventure to find out more. The journalist pieces are what came through as the strongest (or certainly the most interesting) parts of this book.

One thing that I have found myself tiring of, is the style of writing that is forever quoting random pieces of work, or sayings or whatever from people around the world, across time to enforce a point. It bores me because there is plenty of examples in the opposite direction. The occasional, important quote that is central might be acceptable but the barrage is tiring. I’ve found Ryan Holiday is the king of this style of writing, which is why I’ve not picked up his latest book.

Having said all of that, I think this book serves as the planting of the ideas for his next book, Four Thousand Weeks which delves even further into our mortality, a subject that is clearly on the author’s mind.

Finished reading: The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman 📚

Airshow is my favourite podcast app. It’s lightweight. Supports notes/chapters (if they are included). Is an excellent aside to an RSS feed reader. And it’s got a new icon.

Ever since watching The Bear I have been on a mad R.E.M kick. Out of Time being top of the list. Will likely follow that with Automatic for the People and then close it off with New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Hell, add Up to that as well (although nowhere near as strong).

Now that Ryan is growing older, some of his new interests are coming through. Clearly the boy loves how food is put together and importantly its presentation. So been getting him involved in the cooking process. First as an observer and soon will start getting him to help - staying away from anything sharp.

Ready Chef!

😷 This cough is not going away. It’s been with me for 5 days now. Today was the worst day overall…

🏂🏻 First proper snow in Toronto. Maybe this means the kids will get a chance to go tobogganing down the hill tomorrow (they’ve been waiting for months).

First tech purchase of 2024, a smart scale. Tons of data to wade through. Interestingly my overall weight hasn’t changed since 2018. I know it went down briefly in 2020, but regained it all when work went crazy towards the end of that year.

At the tender age of 44, having completed GCSEs, A-levels, a University Masters degree in Engineering, written countless reports, a book, this site (and all its iterations), and now I’m writing an English test. Thanks Canada.

Nice overview of all the stationery People ACTUALLY Bought in 2023 from Jetpens. For myself, my favourite stationary purchase of 2023 was a couple of Red Tennesse pencils, along with a Staedtler pencil extender.

Watching The Bear. What a fantastic show. You do need to get through the first 10min in episode 01, which are a little intense, but after that an absolute delight. Also, GREAT soundtrack.

There was diligence to his method, which resulted in a pretty uniform shaped sphere.

Currently reading: The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman 📚. I’ve tried reading this book before. The first chapter suffers from that meandering nature that similar books suffer from. Saying things across 25 pages that might have been better served in 12.

Get past that however and it’s shaping out to be a good read.

If ever there was a way to reinforce the 6 seasons, we woke up today with a light dusting of snow everywhere. Winter has begun for (for the next two months).

Final post of 2023, also 1 more post than my most posts in a year (462). Wishing everyone a happy new year.

A very anaemic amount of books this year. I am in the middle of several books at the moment, but my heart was just not into it this year I guess. The silver lining being it was better than the previous year. This year I’m aiming for 1 book a month.

Testing digital inking only.

It’s been a while since I last played.

I think those geniuses at IKEA have finally cracked the loose tea steeper puzzle. How to make one that does not suck and is easy to clean. But wait, there’s more. The website reveals that it also it acts as a drip catcher! $3.99 (Canadian) for 2.

N.Cortolezzis & R.Giesen please take a bow. Well done.

While I only just scraped by 2023 reading goals, I’ve decided to go down a very different route for 2024. In 2024, I will not buy any new books. Rather I have 12 lovely books that I bought over the years, that I either never finished or never started. I also have a few books that I need to reread to extract information from. So here’s the 2024 list:

1. Life 3.0
2. After the Fall
3. Range
4. On Writing Well
5. A Job to Love
6. Brick by Brick
7. The Antidote
8. Adventures in Stationary
9. Creativity Inc
10. Messy
11. Unconditional Parenting
12. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

The rereads are:

1. The Art and Business of Online Writing
2. Unnatural Talent

In recent times I have found it pretty difficult to get into fiction, save for the Silo trilogy, which I am still working my way through and enjoying. I have not finished reading Nausica by Miyazaki or Monsters by Barry Windsor Smith, but am halfway through each of these.

My new favourite beer, the triple NEIPA from Collective Arts, Fuzzy Face. One beer and you can feel it. Just one.

2023, in 7 minutes from Vox. Still processing.

Father points unlocked. Kids (Zane mostly) watched A New Hope for the first time and followed along all the way. Asked the right question, is there only 1 Death Star? Can’t wait for Empire.

🎄 Merry Christmas everyone. Time for the annual ritual of tricking my kids that a fat man with a beard is breaking into our house while we sleep. Also he’s always watching you. But he bears gifts.

Don’t know how many more years of this we are likely to have, but we’re on borrowed time.

First strip in 6 years maybe? Experimenting with a bunch of stuff at the moment, including hand lettering.

Trying something different. Digital ink. A completely stress free way of moving from my pencils into the final piece. Sure something might be lost, but actually a whole lot more is gained.

Watched The Creator. Visually, one of the most stunning sci-fi movies I’ve seen in a while. The design of the world, its vehicles, the technology, the robots themselves, all stunning. The plot had a few weak spots that took me ‘out’ of the movie but overall, an excellent watch.

☕️ Just when you think you know most of the possible ways to brew a cup of coffee you find out about the BIRD. Super interesting product, and has a real satisfying spin.

🎄 The holidays begin now. It’s been a long time coming (since the start of August) and I am properly running on fumes. Time to reset and recharge the batteries.

🗑️ It’s garbage day again! I hate garbage day. I just took you out. Seriously.

☃️ Nope, didn’t imagine things. This time last year there was snow on the grown over a week ago and I was wearing my duck boots. Yet here we are and now snow in sight.

Lego season has begun in the house. First up was the Lego Luigi starter set with the kids. Plenty more where that came from.

🎄 It started 4 years ago. After leaving the Gulf I decided to start making White Russians in the lead up to Christmas. Small bottle of vodka and a small bottle of Kahlua. Couldn’t finish my drink tonight and my tradition is over. Fun while it lasted.

Been watching Pluto TV all week. Really love what they have going on here. First show on the list, King of Queens.

It’s been a pretty mentally and physically challenging period of time. I guess not having a break since the start of August is slowly starting to have its toll on me. I’ve always struggled with taking short breaks because I don’t know how well they work for me.

I am soo done with machined pens. Total waste of money. 10 years of hunting for the ideal holder for my favourite refills has given me a handful of good-ish products but all with plenty of flaws. So disappointed.

I wrote this introduction while in Tampa this summer and its great to finally share it because it captures my thoughts on this world I’ve created.

Moon Racket! is the story of two buddies living on the moon, making noise and eating cheese. It is also the story of my attempts at learning how to draw and write a comic series.

Comics as a medium has been a passion of mine since my early teens. Sadly I never really got around to the actual act of writing and drawing comics, rather spent time circling around the activity itself. And so it was that all of my previous attempts never amounted to any completed comic work - save a four page story for a Guardian/Observer newspaper comic competition called Coffee Beans. To help me fight through this inherent procrastination, the barrier for Moon Racket! was purposely set very low. The result was that for nearly a decade this world and it’s characters would be my main creative outlet. But lets start at the beginning.

At the start of 2010, I had a serious case of brain crack. Brain crack is a term coined by CGP Grey in an episode of the excellent podcast, Hello Internet, ‘…the longer we procrastinate on something we want to do, the more our brains build up expectations of how amazing it’s going to be. It’s like crack for your brain’. The project was based on an idea I had, after a hazy summer evening out in Athens when I was 21. I couldn’t let this idea go but I also couldn’t move it forward in a meaningful way either. Two events would enable me to break my brain free and allowed me to create my first real body of comic work.

Throughout the 2000s, my creative adventures had been spent developing and honing my web and graphic design skills. I had started life on the internet to help me publish my comic work, the issue was that I fell in love with the web itself. The web combined a lot of what I loved about comics in the first place, but in a vastly different format. The web in the early 2000s was an exciting place. I swam in this space for years until the internet landscape changed (which I attribute to Twitter and Facebook) and it stopped being exciting. Another piece of technology would also come out around this time that offered another creative avenue to explore, the iPhone. With the introduction of the iPhone 4, what was possible on this mini computer in your pocket was starting to expand. I decided that I would try and use this this $880 (the going rate with taxes) device to create a comic, each panel would be the size of the phone screen. While the idea was well conceived, it was beyond ambitious.

This entire series of characters was borne from a few images drawn on an iPhone 4 back in 2012. These were done using the crudest of styluses available at the time, which was a thin aluminium tube with a soft sponge attached to the end of it. The key elements of Corgan were there, the booties, long eyes and circles at all the joints. As I drew these characters, their world started to come into view for me. They lived on the moon. The moon was ostensibly made of cheese (and that would never run out of course). After realising that the little moon worm I had drawn was an organic being, he would need some form of air bubble around him to breathe (please don’t argue with my logic, it’s fragile). Very quickly however I hit technological limits. The combination of the crude stylus, the tiny screen and the poor feedback they both provided (when compared to my trusted Muji 0.38mm blank ink pen and Midori paper notebooks), would mean that I would stop this experiment early on. I count the experiment as a success, because it allowed me to create a new world to get lost in and finally shifted my attention to something different, setting my brain free.

In the early 2010s, my life was transitioning from being a single man, to a fiancé, then husband and finally a father. I was living in the Middle East during this time, which was also going through its own transition as a region, as part of the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring started of as a series of anti-government protests and uprisings that started off in Tunisia and would quickly spread to Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. Nearly a decade late, the chars of that movement are being felt in Syria which erupted into a civil war shortly after. I felt powerless to stop the strong humanitarian disaster that was unfolding around me, culminating in the image of Alan Kurdi washed up on the shore. An image which still haunts me to this day. My brain would retreat and search for a creative outlet to help me manage through this time.

I can’t even remember how or why I would end up calling the entire series Moon Racket!. What I do remember is that the form of logo was crystal clear in my head once I had settled on the name. From this word mark, I originally intended for the series to be filled with onomatopoeia (which is the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named). I don’t think it happened as often as I would have wanted, but that is certainly something I am looking to lean into more in the future.

Many decisions, that defined the Moon Racket! world would also arrive in a completely organic manner. It felt appropriate that the technology used throughout the series would be locked in the 1980s, while the architecture that was on display would be of the future. Strangely (even to me), the Moon and surrounding planets are characters themselves, complete with eyes, arms and hands.

In developing the the style of art, I went off what I felt looked right, a tactic laced with struggle and self doubt. It took a while to kick my propensity of cross-hatching and tried to create a vernacular that was is my own continues. Having never previously really spent any time developing a dynamic cartoony style of art before, the art would evolve the more I drew. My annoying perfectionism would take a back seat as I kept reminding myself that nobody was paying any attention, so it didn’t really matter. Keep moving. Keep drawing one strip after the other.

Even though he was the basis of the entire series, I struggled a great deal with the design of the Corgan character. In developing the shape of his body I would struggle with shape and form. I would keep adding new elements to his body, but would never feel truly comfortable in his depiction, until recently. By contrast Corgan’s third iteration, which has arrived years after I stopped drawing him in the manner he is presented in the this volume, now practically draws himself and rolls off my pencil.

Unsurprisingly the characters and this world, never really took off beyond a limited number of readers. This was expected, considering it would take me over a year to write and draw 20 strips. I didn’t publish nearly enough to build a habit with anyone, but mainly with myself. I ran out of energy, as things in my professional life started to take over and I need to focus a lot more on that side of my life. I decided to put the series on hiatus and capped it creatively, published in March 2017, with a movie poster style image capturing all the characters. The characters would come out of retirement briefly in 2021. I finally was able to fulfil my original vision of creating these on an electronic device. This time it was a 12.9” iPad Pro with an actual stylus (the Apple pencil). After I finally learnt how to draw and colour these characters, I ended up taking an extended break from them.

I could not imagine that these characters would stay with me as long as they have, but maybe that is down to the fact that I have not said all that I wanted to say. The next evolution of the Moon Racket! world is not in the artwork, rather it will be found in the type of topics that I would like to discuss. In defining the direction I want to take these characters in, I am reminded of my mother’s admiration for the political fables presented in Kalīla wa-Dimna, and using it as inspiration for future stories.

For now however, it feels good that the original groundwork for these characters and their world is collected in a single place.

Moon Racket! Ambient Hum is available to buy as a paperback.

Buy the paperback on Amazon ➔

The project for 2023 was the Moon Racket! collection, Ambient Hum. This one has been long in production. It’s nice to have a single place with all these stories collected.

After a little over a year in Canada, I can definitely say that I honestly believe that Toronto has some of the worst graphic design of any city I’ve lived in. I think I’ll start taking some photo evidence to demonstrate. It’s soo, soo bad.

☕️ It took me a while, but I finally found my coffee beans purveyor of choice in Toronto, Pilot Coffee Roasters. Great quality. Solid selection. My only suggestion is increasing their Japanese tea selection (looking for some Hojicha).

It takes an incredible amount of effort to put a book together. My plan is to release one a year into the wilderness. Increasingly this is not about sales (because I’m doing it all wrong if it was), but it’s about seeing a project through. How it fares in the big cold world is beyond my control.

Things have to move around a little once the final trade dress constraints come in. Book has been ready for several months, but needed to get this cover sorted first. Now time to pull it all together.

The cover is finally done! Lots to talk about, but just super happy that all the pieces of the book are now complete.

Trade dress coming along…

Inside Real Madrid’s $1BN Stadium Upgrade. Great overview of a stadium that looks completely insane, in the best possible way. The most fascinating part for me is tracking how much this site has changed through its history. Where do they go from here - because you know at some point they will likely have to.

Cover is coming together.

🥃 White Russian season has begun. Normally the month before Christmas I get myself a bottle of vodka and khalua and pretend I’m ‘The Dude’.

Eco House designed to Passivehaus premium. Since putting a pause in the work around Stet, as I settle into a new life in Canada. This story of building integrated PV is exactly the type of thing that I miss the most. Deep dives into the built environment and everything around it.

I came home yesterday and the kids had done some remodelling of our living room. A household with two young boys is by its very nature a very dynamic space. Having said that we have too much stuff in the wrong place. Will take some time this weekend to sort that out.

Finished reading: The Art and Business of Online Writing by Nicolas Cole 📚

James O’Brien Vs The Government Part 2. Great take by O’Brien who has such an incredibly calm way of breaking down a subject and putting a governments feet to the fire. 13 years of Conservatism in the UK is a long time.

The first two chapters of my long gestating story Colours is out. Conceived some 25 years ago, I never was able to write large enough chunks of it to share. Most of act 1 is mapped out, so will hopefully be able to share more soon (along with some drawings I’ve done in the past that still work.

Onyx stood at the entrance of the chamber, he could see her a little better. The candles offered some light, but it was dim. Azure was sitting slumped on her throne. She had her hair up in a huge bun on her head, it looked like a bees nest. She looked frail, wrapped herself in a thick cloak.

“Millions flock to this place. They are not here for me. No, they are here for themselves. And yet here you are child, my first visitor in as long as I can remember. Come child. Come closer to we can discuss our future. for mine is linked to yours.”

Onyx moved closer into Azure’s view, “Hello, Azure. It’s me, Onyx.”
“Onyx? Onyx who?”, she said.
Onyx walked closer to her, knelt down and held both her hands together, “Let me remind you.”

Colours

Chapter 01: The Decay

Part 07 of 31

At first I was a little disappointed in the scroll wheel of my Anywhere MX 3S mouse. It didn’t have the functionality of the previous version that allowed you to select ratchet or smooth scrolling by pressing down. Turns out this feature is now in the software giving you precise control. Amazing.

🍗 At Chick-Fil-A because that’s what Ryan wanted all week. It’s easy food with little fuss for the kids I guess.

It must have been in the Uber, last week I lost a close companion, my Anywhere MX mouse which I’ve had since Dubai, nearly 8 years. You know you absolutely love a product that you go out and buy a replacement straight away. The new version has USB-C, is more responsive, a slightly different mouse button, but crucially keeps everything that was great. Compared to the Apple Mouse, for me this is the gold standard of computer mice.

Onyx was standing in front of an incredibly tall and ornate gate that stretched high into the sky. On either side of the main entrance, the walls were covered in animal statues. Baboons, cats, monkeys, falcons, hippos and lions, all intricately connected with each other.

Onyx followed the flow of the crowd, allowing them to guide him inside. Surprisingly the building looked much larger on the inside than it did on the outside. The main entrance opened up onto a series of halls connected to one another that got larger as they got deeper into the building. Tourists lined every available space in the hall, they bobbed en masse, like waves in the ocean.

He continued with everyone for a little while, moving from hall to the next, deeper and deeper inside he went, until he peeled away into a corridor to the side. The difference in activity between the main halls and this corridor was stark. He was the only person there. He walked alone for a little while coming to a tiny chamber filled with candles, and there at the end sat Azure.

Colours

Chapter 01: The Decay

Part 06 of 31

So Zane did this yesterday and I am absolutely floored by what he’s created! The thing I am most impressed by is the storytelling. An essential part to any comic narrative and he’s done so well here.

🥘 Mega day for cooking. Got an amazing chilli con carne done (but with butternut squash, chorizo, beans and a bunch of veg). Then made an epic Greek souvlaki feast complete with fresh pita, tzatziki, chicken gyros and fries. 💪.

Onyx knew that he had to react quickly. His consciousness instantly reverted back to his body, he got up and began sprinting. In that same moment his Wings also began their decent, falling through the air and attached themselves onto Onyx’s back, fusing together with in a bright flash.

He traversed through a wasteland, teeming with people. Onyx had been here before, when it was still teeming with a different kind of life. He knew this spot well. While it’s grandeur remained, in the form of scale, it’s vibrancy had completed faded away.

Onyx waded through hundreds, maybe thousands of ‘tourists’ that walked around aimlessly, gawking at the remains. Giggling. Taking pictures. Some studied remains with intensity. It was a circus. It did however offer a smoke screen that cloaked the main attraction.

Colours

Chapter 01: The Decay

Part 05 of 31

🍳 I’m sure there is an app or website out there that does this already but I wouldn’t mind something to track my cooking adventures. Add in some tags like cuisine, if it was vegetarian or not, success or failure, delicious or not and that’s a pretty awesome feature. Add a photo.

Trying to separate the signal from the noise was where Onyx’s wings came into their own. From above it was trivial to zero in on zones of potential that would otherwise remain unnoticed. They gave him the ability to not only see far but across the spectrum.

In his hunt for remaining colours, Onyx had been lurking on the fringes of the decay for what seemed like an eternity. Was it time to start making his way further into the inner circles? Was this seemingly fruitless search proof that his work in the Decay was finally done?

And then he saw it. The faintest of auras. Blink and you miss it.

Colours

Chapter 1: The Decay

Part 04 of 31.

The Decay covers an immense urban expanse, tied together through a network of makeshift huts, small shacks and a sea of rubble, the remains of buildings of every architectural definition, either empty and abandoned. Yet within this urban decay, a form of life was flourishing. Millions upon millions of tourists flocking to see and interact with the rubble, paying tribute to what was.

Even among all this chaos, there was no real vantage point anywhere to be found. For that, Onyx had to rely on his eyes in the sky, his Wings. He tilted his head up, his eyes rolled back and turned a cloudy white. He was no longer on the ground but soaring high above.

Colours

Chapter 1: The Decay

Part 03 of 31.

The hilltop he was sitting on seemed a little less faded than the rest of the expanse around him. There was a tiny hint of colour that was left behind, like the dying embers of a fire. Onyx took the glove of his right hand and pushed his hand into the sand beneath him. He could barely register any activity at all.

He removed his hand from the sand, brought it just before his face, turning it slowly, inspecting it to see if he had missed something. He then dusted his hands against each other. Dust exploded briefly into maroon coloured flecks of life, moving and dancing in the air, before falling back again onto the ground without a trace. Grey and lifeless.

Colours

Chapter 1: The Decay

Part 02 of 31.

Onyx decided to sit down. The terrain was different here as the ground fell gradually away him. He looked across at the Decay that spread itself, seemingly forever. Ashes and rubble from past glories formed a vast sea of grays and whites. The movement from dust clouds made the world around him undulate. For brief moments the dust would clear a little and let him get a better view of his surroundings. This would be swiftly replaced with new dancing dust clouds that would engulf him completely, making it difficult to see very far in front of him.

Colours

Chapter 1: The Decay

Part 01 of 31.

First proper trick or treating since Dubai?!

The first of November is when I like to write my short story of the year. This year I’m finishing off a story I started 3 years ago but never finished. The outline is complete so I’m not starting from scratch. 50 words-ish a day, for 30 days.

Yesterday made an awesome sheet pan pizza. Today I promised Ryan I would make some sweet and sour chicken (I’ve not made this one for them before), so this will be an experience for them.

Love this photo!

💥🎧 So loud. Toronto is so loud. Mainly the stupid vehicles that roam the streets blurting out unnecessary sounds. Whether it’s the engines of cars, the fire truck or ambulance sirens, the horns of the streetcar when a dickhead doesn’t stop for the passengers getting off (I’m ok with this). So, so loud.

Lock Screen for autumn 2023.

Fuuuucccckkkk. I’ve been doing it all wrong. Picked up a book today that makes so much sense and has showed me why and where I have been going wrong with Stet.

Had I read it 3 years ago at the peak of Stet, I likely would have moved a lot differently. In hindsight I followed the wrong advice - or at least it didn’t work for me. I don’t feel bad about the work I did (I’m actually very happy with the work itself), but everything around the work? I totally messed up.

I have been waiting to jump back into that particular project when I had the right ideas to move it forward. The reality is that I think I will be there pretty soon. So that’s exciting.

I’ve been avoiding the news media because I genuinely don’t believe they are being objective, rather the messaging is absolutely weighted. Novara Media is a refreshing and mature take on the conversation.

Finished reading: How to make the best coffee at home by James Hoffmann 📚

Finished reading: Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior by Cube Kid 📚 This wasn’t actually read by me as this was read to my Zane. His first book.

Let the festivities begin.

As a big fan of field watches, the 02SERIES Field from Studio Underd0g is a real looker and extremely unique. My only complaint would be the 18mm strap and maybe the overall size being a tad small.

I’ve been on a serious food nostalgia trip this weekend. Made Lebanese rice pudding. The only missing ingredient was mastic (which I’m sure I can find somewhere in Toronto, just haven’t found the place yet).

When shit gets bad, I tend to fall back onto these characters for support. The process is key.

2024 Total Eclipse Map by The Eclipse Company is a great visual of where the next total eclipse is coming in 2024. Straight through Toronto! Hopefully it won’t be cloudy that day.

Broken World

I can’t do it. I can’t bring myself to follow what is unfolding in the Middle East.

I used to harbour hopes that the wider international community might be able to find a way to help mediate things. That’s just not going to happen. The reality is that they have to find a way to live with each other and it has to come from both of them.

The world will watch the coming slaughter, mostly in silence. The response will be unrelenting and extreme. It’s not even a surprise. It’s incredibly harrowing to know what is coming and be helpless to offer any help on an individual level.

It’s not about winning an idealistic cause.
It’s about people.
People, any people, living side by side.
People raising their children.
People taking their kids to school.
People getting married.
People growing up.
People getting older.
People falling in love.

The world broke a lot more in the last week.

Spanakopita turned out pretty good.

Not going to lie, I’m really, really happy that the bird site is dead. I will say that Instagram has definitely taken over that zeitgeist role (not for me of course). For me, I am more than happy with my little corner of the internet.

Happy 🇨🇦 Thanksgiving. Today was the first dinner party we’ve thrown in a looong while. All Greek menu, roasted lamb which chestnut like potatoes in the oven, Greek salad (done the proper way with an amazing dressing), freshly baked pita bread, cold bean salad, tzatziki. And for dessert, lemon bars. Tart, but gooey and so, so good.

Been watching the Beckham documentary. Obviously going for the ‘Last Dance’ kind of vibes, however the difference for me is I was living in the UK while all of this was happening and so remember watching some of this stuff unfold.

• I like the camera trick the director used of going close up on the interviewee while they are watching and reacting to what they are watching. At first it felt a bit weird, but then you understand the mechanism they are using and you see more.
• I can absolutely relate to Beckham’s obsessiveness with his cupboard. I don’t have anywhere near his stuff, but the limited stuff that I do have shares his setup…except the angled t-shirts, that was a new, but welcome idea.
• Also picking out your outfits for the entire week…that’s a new one.

Real shame that Bryan’s MacOS Today Widget for posting to Micro.blog isn’t supported anymore on the latest versions.

Saturday afternoon studio.

New microbrand Erebus has launched their first watch, the Origin. Still wondering if this is for me (likely not), but it’s nice to see a YouTuber make a leap from reviewing to creating something more into the world.

For me, I’m eyeing something a little more than the $300 mark in the Baltic Hermetique Tourer in blue, the Astor and Banks Fortitude Lite Navy Blue or the Nodus in ‘Frost’. There are plenty of great options around the $600 mark, that would work for an everyday alternative to my workhorse Vaer Field watch (which I love).

Chapter 03

Varieties

I’ve increasingly been noticing the varieties that exist in the world around me.

• It’s in the food we eat.
• It’s in the clothes we wear.
• It’s in the type of dogs we have.
• It’s in the cars we drive.
• It’s in the phones we use.

The variety that is available to us now in 2023 would be mind boggling to many 20 years ago. Yet with that level of choice, we are also confronted with the burden of selection. We have to wade through a mountain of options to find what best suits our own needs.

This is partially why I have been hunting over the last 10 years for sensible defaults¹. It is something that I have been very passionate about mainly because it’s one less thing to think about. In the aggregate, when you don’t have to make the same decision again and again means that you are able to spend more time on other things. Life’s low hanging fruit.

The Spice of Life

Life can be like a massive shopping carts. We fill it with experiences, products, people, memories, food, drink, laughter and sorrow. These items in our carts sometimes are easy to find and sometimes are hidden deep underneath a bunch of other crap we either didn’t need in the first place or that we used and have no need for. And this works across three dimensions. Physical, mind and digital. Managing this cart can either make our lives easier or more difficult. To make things easier we look for sensible defaults. These are knowing traits that address our current, immediate needs. Finding our sensible defaults means that we are not overwhelmed or distracted. Our cart is lighter.

At the start of our journey, our tastes are immature. We’ve not really had the time to sample things to see what we like and what we definitely don’t like. There is a period of exploration that precedes settling on the thing that makes the most sense, most of the time, for the time. Life doesn’t need to be heavily spiced. Equally when it does not have enough spice, it becomes bland. Sensible defaults let you reach a sweet spot of balance.

A sensible default is a the steady state we reach after experimentation. As we grow older, we begin to settle into place. Our go to wine. Our favourite type of slipper. The optimal notebook. Sensible defaults allow us to spend less time feeling cheated by something that is not meant for us.

A reasonably tough start to the week on the kids side. Both going through their own issues. Both pretty difficult to resolve as a parent. Not because I don’t have resolutions, but because these might not really be possible to a 5YO and 9YO.

Great video explaining some of the wild ambitions by Japanese architects in the 60s to reclaim (in the land context) the Tokyo bay.The $41 Billion Plan for Tokyo.

On the boat.

A different view of Toronto.

Not sure where he saw this, but on the way to school Zane asked me if he could buy a VR headset. To which I was like, ‘Hell no. Boy, do you even know what a VR headset is?’ His response was surprisingly accurate, although he’s clearly not heard that the Apple VR doesn’t need controllers in your hand…still think it’s a stupid product category.

New iPhone, means new case. My Horween leather case from Nomad on my iPhone 11 lasted me nearly 4 years, but I wanted something a little different. I ended up going for the Sheath from Caudabe in amethyst.

📱 I’m on a four year upgrade cycle. The thing is this year might be a phone that will stay with me for the next years (plus). The hardware itself has gotten so good that it far exceeds your daily needs. The cameras have now also gotten crazy good that they to are looking like they could last another 5 years at least.

The best example to this is my 2018 iPad Pro, which still feels magical 5 years after I bought it. I have no intention of upgrading that machine and yet I use it every day.

🍂 It’s hoodie season. To celebrate got myself a brown/hazel coloured one for 2023. Maybe this becomes a yearly tradition.

Politics On the Edge by Rory Stewart. I stumbled on Rory several years ago and in him found a politician I could look up to. Maybe because he has some clear mannerisms with a really close friend of mine? Either way, he’s got a new book out and the cover is epic. Also seems to be coming under a different name in North America, How Not To be a Politician. The cover is also just not as good…

🍻 Usually come Friday I am totally smashed and feel like I need a beer. Today, even though it’s been a long hard week, there has been successes and failures but today I absolutely don’t have the craving at all.

Just me an Zane in the house this week. It’s amazing the chaos that is inflicted on a house with four people in it. Makes me wonder how my grandmother was dealing with 9-10 people in the house. Madness really.

🌻 Sunflower Surprises

The blistering sunshine begins to subside.
The days of sweltering heat slowly fade.
Your mornings are now greeted with a sharp pinch of coldness.
A tree here and there has brown leaves that are slowly starting to fall.
The park, just weeks ago lush in shades of green, is now slowly starting to add more movement as leaves begin to fall.
More colours are added to the tapestry.
Your wardrobe begins to shift and change a little. It’s slowly starting to be hoody season.
You begin to crave different types of food.
Most surprising of all are the sunflowers that have been quietly growing throughout the summer.
Once it’s time they signal the change that is coming by giving one last ray of bright yellow. See you all next year.

Micro.blog has been pretty sketchy for publishing today. Maybe needs an MOT.

Ah, Le Beau!

Over the last year I have really leaned into the Pentel Energel as my go to pen of choice. As was inevitable, I started looking around to see the best option for a machined pen for this refill. The 36 Click Pen by Autmog is that pen (when Brian makes it into a 0.5mm version), but getting something bespoke for this refill on such an elegant looking pen has now gone top of my list.

Procreate Dreams. Between Procreate ans Affinity they have totally transformed what is even possible on an iPad. Cannot wait to get my hands on this app. Maybe even a Moon Racket! short?

One of the things that I have recently taken to is sketching idyll whenever I have a free moment. It’s mindless, but I’ve found it to be relaxing. The output is these reasonably dense pages that make me happy and sometimes that’s all that matters.

The new Santiago Bernabéu stadium opened this weekend. What an incredible project that is truly a fitting theatre for the Queen of European football. My favourite used to be thx Allianz stadium, but this is not that far back.

It’s done, at least all the interior pages of the Moon Racket! collection is done. All that’s left is a new cover and all the peripheral images that I am working on. It’s also been real fun developing the look of these characters that have been dormant for 5 years.

🍟 My kingdom for a full proof way to make decent oven fries. I know I’ve been doing it wrong, but my fries keep failing. Hunting on YouTube, it seems there are a couple of options that I need to try:

1. Boil the potatoes for at least 8 minutes. I’ve been blanching them - although have been using vinegar so they don’t break down.
2. Upgrade to use peanut oil instead of olive oil - because food science. Don’t put a ton, otherwise they will be oily.
3. Make sure the fries are not crowded fries on a single backing sheet.
4. Put the fries on the bottom layer of the oven, closest to the heating element.
5. Flip them 15-20min into the cooking process.

The above should hopefully make the fries crispy, but also not oily. I need to crack this, because the kids know I am prone to messing this up regularly. The kids know!

Summer is nearly and truly over.

I’m really loving how these chapter break pages came together for the Moon Racket! collection. I have been struggling with how to make these pages more visually interesting.

I tried using inverted images, but they just looked odd. Sometimes an idea just pops into your head and it just works.

Publishing is making public your own enthusiasm.
— Robert Gottlieb

I really love this (via Austin Kleon’s newsletter).

I have been working through some of these thoughts at the moment as I put together my next few books. It’s a small but growing collection.

The book arrived! Super fast printing and delivery. I’m not a big fan of the glossy cover. The printing quality inside is reasonable. I do want to review this against some of the other comics that I have as I don’t tend to review things with the same amount of scrutiny.

The most Toronto picture I could take.

Ordered the copy today. The cover needs to be sorted but great to see 120 pages of Moon Racket! loveliness coming together.

Just came out of Banksyland in Toronto. 5/10. Tiny venue. Sparse collection. This statue was my favourite part of the entire show.

Crispy, fresh air with a little bite. Summer is very slowly coming to an end. September and May have always been my favourite seasons.

For a while now I have been going through my stash of stationary, using all the things that I have used over the years. With the exception of my ‘grail’ fountain pen (an Ivory stock Pro Gear), I’ve not really interested in buying new things unless they enhance my stationary life properly.

A couple of boxes of Musgrave’s Tennessee Red pencils was top priority and then I also added one additional item which was the Staedtler 900 25 pencil holder. It’s everything that I could want as a complement to those pencils. Using my Midori MD Paper A5 notebooks (the only notebook I am using for sketching) and I have my absolute mobile studio with me whenever.

What this has done is that it’s made it easy for me to lean into sketching Moon Racket! characters, which I am really enjoying.

I could spend hours looking at the Made In website. It’s been nearly a decade since we bought our cookware and they have been excellent for us, but this, this is a serious upgrade. First off will be a larger frying pan and then we’ll go from there.

We didn’t go out very often to eat at restaurants while on holiday - I can count 4 times on the entire trip. There certainly is some theatre in eating outside and something I want the kids to experience, but to be honest, they’re still pretty young to get it all. Rather I leaned evermore into cooking for everyone. it relaxes me and allows me to eat the food that I want to eat, while making others happy as well.

When cooking I need the following:

1. Large frying pan.
2. Sharp knife
3. Two chopping boards (one for veg, one for meat)
4. Microplane/fine grater (although could just use the knife)
5. One large pot with a lid
6. Mixing bowl
7. Sheet tray
8. Tongs
9. Cooking spoon
10. Spatula

The minimum spices needed are:

1. Cummin
2. Paprika (smoked or otherwise)
3. Oregano
4. Turmeric
5. Salt
6. Pepper

You can buy all the above from a supermarket for less than the cost of a meal at a restaurant these days. The objective wasn’t to experiment very much with flavours as it was to produce food that was acceptable to everyone. There were some definite hits that I will be doing more often.

To stretch my cooking a little bit, I bought the Men with the Pot cook book. YouTube chefs are some of my favourites to watch and learn from, so I’m really glad to find out about this pair of Polish chefs living in Northern Ireland.

This year I am also writing a cook book with my mother, which focuses on the Lebanese cuisine I grew up with. It’s not a massive culinary flex but I know what the gold standard is and keep trying to dial it all in to get those flavours I am very much aware of. I wish I could set her up so she can film everything she does so well, and maybe that’s a project for the future.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the ability to lean into several of my hobbies. I bought Jame Hoffman’s book How to make the best coffee at home, which is essential reading for anyone making coffee at home. Very well written, the photos throughout remind me of something I usually get when reading The Monocle. It does a great job of educating you and making you get excited about coffee. The only part I am not keen on, is the cover. Great buy and one that I hope to use regularly as I expand my knowledge of this hobby.

I was able to buy a non brand tamper (that I hope works) for my CoffeeJack. Finally got my CoffeeJack this year, tried a couple of times to make coffee without the tamper and lost the will to live and made a right mess of my kitchen. A tamper is an essential part of the kit of making coffee with that contraption. The stand is also pretty important, but will wait until they have their shit together over there before I send them any more money. Also I want to be sure that I like making and drinking coffee this way.

Finally, I got a Timemore Basic Pro scale. This is another major upgrade in my coffee accessories. The gooseneck kettle was pretty key for me and this is another one that just makes life a lot easier. The built in timer is a game changer for me. Yes I know I have a smartphone and a clock on the wall, but honestly this is that much more convenient.

The final piece of the puzzle for me is a machine grinder, I have my eye on the Varia VS3. This appears to be one of the better small amount grinders out there. Might even go for the white version.

Once I have this, then it’s just paraphernalia (a cupping spoon here, a funky mug or two there). Still need to see if I want to invest in an espresso machine, but that can wait for a while I think.

This is one of the best takes on Twitter’s Rebrand to X. It’s so fundamentally stupid, stupid,stupid.

Absolutely loving the subscription to The Athletic. Great coverage. Great reading experience. The app has an awesome feature of turning the photos of articles that are read to black and white. You can focus on the sports and teams you are interested in. If you’re into sports, this is a great present to yourself.

Work on Moon Racket! continues. The first draft of all the text is now in. I should have the majority of the book completed by the end of the week save the cover (and possibly some additional sketches and graphic elements I want to add throughout the book).

It’s a Moon Racket! kinda morning.

♟️ Played chess with Zane yesterday and he legit beat me - up until now it’s been a question of growing his confidence and letting him win. Not yesterday, boy had me on the ropes. Great feeling for sure.

Amazingly full day.

1. Wrote a super important few pages in my notebook for Stet. I need to flesh it out a little bit but I have a really good feeling.
2. Watched some Manchester United pre season game and could see what the future is meant to hold.
3. Took kids swimming for a few hours.
4. Cooked Greek souvlakia for everyone (including making the pita).
5. Did some reading with the kids
6. Took a long walk with the kids (they were on their scooters).

What summer is all about :).

My America haul so far.

Alright. Found my Florida DIPA. Smooth, with the right amount of kick at the end.

Someone from Florida has to explain this to me. What’s the deal with the scales as you enter and leave a supermarket?

📚 Finished reading: Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Most of which I already knew from his podcast, but totally needed this reminder of all the things that I have been doing wrong this last year of transition to Canada.

That’s what I’m talking about.

I remember reading about Snapdrop on Dense Discovery as a means of sharing files across platforms but couldn’t remember the name.

I sat down in front of iPad this morning to write the Moon Racket! introduction. I was looking at around 300words. In that first instance I thought I was going to struggle to write much more than that. Then my brain started firing up and 1000 words later I could see where all of this was heading. Pretty confident that I will get most of the book done during this stay, maybe even get the start of the cover done?

I’m currently reading ‘Deep Work’ and while I have heard all of this before on Cal Newports podcast, it’s amazing how much I’ve fallen off these very basic elements in my daily working life. The biggest one is the shutdown routine. My journalling habit is non existent at the moment (save this website).

My deep work sessions have also taken a beating. My inbox is a mess. My Calendar is always stacked. I let all of this happen as I focused on very important goals but they came at a huge cost.

I’ve always known what I have to do (and why), I just reverted back to my default which I know better.

I am always amazed by the shapes and colours of the clouds here in Florida. They really are unlike anything I have seen in Europe or Canada. They’re defined, fluffy and distinct across an azure blue sky as the backdrop. I love it. It always stands out to me when we visit and I feel that people living here don’t appreciate this aspect of their environment as much - or maybe they’ve just grown accustomed to it all.

Editing mode.

‘Where is home?’

I hate that question.

It sometimes comes as a comments. It’s sometimes a question. It’s sometimes a bit of both. Either way it’s annoying to me, because I cannot claim to have one home. Home is not where I was raised 30 years ago, or where my parents were raised.

I have had many homes. Home is where I am at in that moment. It was Athens. It was Nottingham. It was London. It was Dubai. Until last year it was Copenhagen. It is now Toronto.

Home is where I feel safe to raise my children and make a life for myself.

I lost my uncle Moueen yesterday. My mother broke the news to me and I didn’t understand it at first. It came as a total surprise. I knew he was struggling with certain health issues, but clearly didn’t realise the extent. Didn’t even cross my mind that this was even on the cards for him. As I understand it, he was sure he’d be out of hospital. Typically when I write these eulogies about my family they are a method of working through the pain. I am usually crying. I am almost always a little distraught.

This time however I am completely numb.

Lebanon in the 1980s, the country was at war. It didn’t really matter to my parents. Summers meant we were in Lebanon visiting family. To this day the how remain unknown, but it felt that a new car would be adopted into the wider family every single year.

And so it came to be, that sometime in the late 1980s my father would borrow his uncle Moueen’s gold Pontiac (or some extra long American car) for the summer. This car was entirely out of place in the tiny little town of Saida. It was not designed for roads designed within an old town with its own idiosyncrasies. It stood out, and was so awkward to manoeuvre anywhere. People would get out of their way offering guidance, like Navy Catapult Officers guiding a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier. For the entire summer, my dad relished in the fact that everywhere he went he was referred to as ‘Hakeem’ (hakeem being the Arabic word for doctor.) as he went about his business. For that summer, in the moments he was driving that car and having to interact with people, my dad felt like he was the ‘Hakeem of Saida’.

But of course he wasn’t, he was pretending.

That was his Uncle Moueen’s title. It was a title he built over years with dedication, kindness, compassion, morality and exceptional humanity. Much of this service to the wellbeing and health of helpless children, happened before I was born or when I was a child. My father however was there and he saw what was going on. Each act elevating my dad’s reverence to his uncle further and further.

My father’s relationship with his uncle (like his relationship with any of his uncles) was not traditional. In Moueen, he had the older brother he never had. With that relationship came a profound admiration and reverence, which probably explained his obsession with one of his kids becoming a doctor. For my father, there really was nothing greater that could be achieved than becoming a doctor. A concept that was developed and moulded around one of his real life heros.

My very first recollection of my uncle was on one of his many trips to our house in Athens. My mother had prepared a massive spread (as she would do regularly) in honour of my uncle’s visit. At the end of the meal, I remember asking him how the heart worked.

My mother rolled her eyes. My dad dismissed my request outright. My uncle would proceed to try and educate my 9 year old mind about the inner workings of the heart. I remember nothing of what he said, but sitting on his lap while he talked, made me feel safe.

He occupied a space in my heart that is difficult to express fully, but I will try. Over the years I would meet up with him both in the UK and Lebanon. During the days we would spend together I would get to know him a little better. I would observe his words, which were meticulously chosen. His points were poignantly made. His demeanour, calm and collected. He carried a childlike enthusiasm for all things.

His eyes would widen. His thick bushy eyebrows would become animated. This was always on display when he would show me (or tell me) about his latest woodworking project. While medicine was his vocation, he true love was carpentry. He took exceptional pride in the craft and had dreamed of following in his own father’s footsteps. His father was not supportive of that path for his youngest son. The dedication to woodworking would have to wait until his retirement years.

We would talk about politics and authors. My favourite recommendation of his was Leo the African by Amin Maalouf. To this day, it remains one of my favourite books.

He would talk about history as though he lived through this period himself. Assured of his facts and the reasons behind each element of a story. For me, these conversations were unique in that I would rarely have this breadth with someone else.

I do hold some regret because it was too long since I had reached out to him. I remember the last conversation was a rambling one as I explained my reasons for leaving Denmark and what I hoped to achieve in Canada.

Moving countries and being caught up in everything that goes into settling into a new country. The reality being that I took his presence for granted. Sadly we don’t live forever.

I know that my uncle Moueen was a man that lived with integrity and that his life is to be celebrated. True role models are not common in our world. People in your life that you can look up to and can admire for what they brought to the world. We should all be lucky to have even a fraction of the impact this man, born the youngest of his siblings, would have on the world.

I don’t want to feel sad, because my uncle lived a full life and was able to leave this place better than how he had found it. He made an impact on countless lives. He is a lesson that few will be able to replicate.

Ok, I lied the last sentences have made me cry.

Over the last few days I have got to hang out with many more parents around the parks near the house. Each of us trying to do the best for our kids. Get them out of the house, playing and enjoying their summers. Shared war stories and challenges. Thoughts on life. Thoughts on raising kids during a pandemic.

Started the holiday prep. Suitcases are out and the clothes we’re going to be taking are starting to get added. I have a clear idea of the stuff that I will be taking with me as well, but it’s going to be a reading, swimming, writing and relaxing kind of holiday.

I’ve been reading BlogTO for a couple of months now in an attempt to get a high level feel of what’s happening in Toronto. The reporting is generic and base, however it does offer a slice of Toronto, warts and all. This week however I’ve been shocked by the total breakdown in civil behaviour amongst people in Toronto, some as little as 5 minutes from my house. Good natured Canadians exist. They’re just not very common in the cities it seems.

Really great video about Rob Liefeld. This takes me back to my early teens instantly as I was there from Spawn #7 onwards. I would go back and hunt all of Image’s #1 and they still remain dear to my heart. Good to see that they reconciled at the end.

♟️Been playing chess a lot on my mobile. I definitely get it now. Damn is my endgame shocking. So, so bad.

Been practicing my chess using the wonderful Chessmate. It’s like the iA Writer of chess games.

Feels really great getting back into writing about the built environment. I am exercising a completely different muscle here, considering it’s less education and more opinion. By default it will probably be more angry in tone but it’s more from a position of frustration, from someone who knows we can do better if we applied ourselves and changed our attitudes to what we are entitled to, what we desire and what we need.

The Boy and the Heron, was released on Friday in Japan and is Miyazaki coming out of retirement. Miyazaki is definitely following in the footsteps of another Japanese great, Osamu Tezuka, whose last words were:

I’m begging you, let me work!

Absolutely fascinating video about the cost of lithium mining in both Chile and Bolivia. The last scene with the graveyard of trains really hit home, how places with extreme wealth in natural resources, are always the subject of colonialism and exploitation, leaving little back to help improve the local population. Why is it that some places protect these resources for their people and other places, have never been capable of doing this. Also hadn’t heard of direct lithium extraction, so will be diving into that a little bit.

When we arrived from Florida, the temperature was starting to turn. Ryan was adamant that he wanted his bike. We tried to reason with him. We tried negotiating. We tried ignoring the subject. In the end the 5 year old won and we got him a small bike, thinking he might not even get to ride it in the winter and he would have outgrown it by the summer - I even kept the box in case we needed to return it.

Turns out it is by far Ryans most prized possession that he did use it a ton in the winter (which was mild I understand) and hasn’t outgrown it completely. Sometimes you have to listen to the five year old.

Huh. HST (Tax) is now applicable on personal purchases made from private buyers on eBay. What a load of crock. Tax has already been paid on this good. I’m all for paying my share, but this seems wrong.

Been thinking really hard about my next phone. I’ve been on the iPhone exclusively since the iPhone 4. The hardware design is now pretty established and somewhat stale - unsurprising since I’ve been using the same form factor for over a decade.

The Sony Xperia 1 V is decidedly a Sony product. It’s sleek. It has character. It has texture (something Apple cannot ever claim). I understand that the software is an improvement on standard Android fair, but will it be too jarring? Will the software have no polish? Is everything else that Sony has to offer enough?

Don’t need to make a decision yet, at least for another few months until the iPhone 15 Pro comes out.

It’s photos like this that make me lament not having a better camera on me. I am ‘due’ an upgrade this year as I’m on an iPhone 11.

But weirdly I don’t give a shit about the app ecosystem anymore. What I actually care about is whether I can get the best camera. Is that an iPhone Pro or is it a Sony something something…

Clearly it rained last night. The patio furniture is wet. Thankfully I had moved the cushions under the canopy last night. It’s pretty quiet. Except the occasional plane overhead breaking the silence. The air is crisp with a pinch of cold.

Present from Peter and Carlos.

Two little dudes.

Basil grown by the kids. Oh yeah.

I downloaded Threads. It’s fine. When it gets ActivityPub it will be of some use to me. Right now it’s another silo from a tech company I don’t trust and doesn’t really care about me.

🏀 Ok. I’m feeling it today. Just 30min of a proper sweat and I’m totally feeling it today.

Hello old friend.

My resident beer guy recommended Beau’s Juiced AF, and he nailed it once again. Love a guy that knows and loves his trade. It can even happen in a small governmental run beer store filled with people mainly returning bottles and cans.

Over the last couple of days I have felt a little restless. Recently I’ve felt the need to put a little less pressure on myself, when it comes to my creative hobbies. I guess part of this is the realisation that all of these endeavours are a hobby. They all contribute towards a body of work that ultimately helps me get through life; yet they are hobbies nonetheless.

Then I realised how many book projects I have on the go, which likely contributes to that restless feeling. Turns out I have 8 projects in different stages of development. The thing is, a considerable amount of effort goes into the production of any of these book projects. Beyond the writing, illustrating or compiling, putting it all out there takes effort.

KAA Books

With all of these different book projects that I am working on, I thought it would be good to create a new imprint called KAA Books. I did consider KAA Press or even KAA POW, but books just does what it says on the tin. Still on the fence about whether I always keep the books word in there, or just keep the KAA word mark and call it a day.

What’s interesting to me is that these are all different forms of work. Comic strips. Children’s book. Cook book. Illustrated novel. I also have a design book (even have the name ready), and a short story collection (have the first 3 written and published).

In writing this, I imagine part of the restlessness has to be the fact that there are all of these projects that I want to get over the line in some way.

1. Moon Racket! Ambient Hum Vol. 1.

I have had to switch to Affinity Publisher, as this image heavy book was really taxing the Pages app, which is better with other kinds of nooks. This will be my next book. The biggest hurdle is the cover, however I now have a clear idea of what I want it to look like.

2. Moon Racket! Our Solar System.

This is a children’s book idea I have had for a while. what I hadn’t realized was how much I had actually written across 2017. I’m glad I waited a little while as I will need to rework some of this and use the latest character designs which I am really happy with.

3. Leila’s Kitchen.

I started collecting this book earlier this year. It’s a cook book based on my mum’s recipes. The way I see it, we’re co-writing this. I get the receipt, test it out myself and edit according. This is probably a little way off, but I’ll have a ton of fun putting this together and will have something pretty unique and special at the end of it all. This also works really well into the video space, something I’ve not really delved into.

4. Moon Racket! Season 3

This is something I am writing whenever I get an idea. It’s an outlet that I have missed having, it’s been 10 years since I wrote season two. As I have been rereading the older strips, I’ve found that where I have felt most engaged is when I am commenting on the political landscape .It’s a definite change of course (considering I’ve written a children’s book), but I guess the one thing that is clear with these characters is how they have evolved both in their themes and their design.

5. Colours

Originally conceived as a graphic novel, I’ve now decided to work this as a short story. The main concept gave me incredible brain crack, however I think it works well in the 1500-2500 works/season. There will be at least 4-6 seasons. The final version might be a single book with illustrations but honestly that is years away.

Stet

1. Built Environment Compendium Vol.2.

The purple volume. Finally got a print version of this. Will be editing this throughout 2023 and then hopefully Mike can review next year, for publishing summer of 2024.

2. Automated Construction.

The yellow volume. Chapters 1-9 are written, need to stick the landing. This one is proving harder to write because it all has to come together as one volume.

3. Built Environment Compendium Vol.3.

The orange volume. This is the last full volume that I wrote on Stet. Volume 4 is a way off considering all these other projects that I have going.

Demons hate fresh air.

It’s been a miserable Sunday. Dreary. Rainy. We’ve been cooped up all day. Slight break in the weather I took the kids out to ride their bikes.

Started watching Silo yesterday. The mystery element gives me strong Lost vibes, with the production values of Foundation (which was…boring?).

Mclaren are now into the scooter business? For $2000…steep for my liking, but it does look pretty good.

The Family Crest. My favourite ‘new’ band. A ‘new’ band being anything I discovered and loved post 1999.

WTF Canada…I know it’s not your fault, but these forest fires are really, really bad. Can’t really go outside because the air quality is soo bad, we’re stuck inside….again. More importantly, are these fires a regular thing now or is the government going to step up their systems to tackle them earlier?

Long weekend start now! It’s been a slog these last few weeks, but I finally feel like I am actually getting my head slightly above water. Three days will fly by, but I am hopefully that I’ll be able to fill them with some good things. Summer is officially here. Kids are off school and the grind can calm down a little.

NEVS Emily GT. Great overview of what SAAB could have been. Great use of technology that I used for my electric cargo bike when in Denmark.

Too much juice in the glazing. Top tip next time is drizzle it in slowly.

🛝 As parks go, Regent Park in Toronto is extremely kid friendly. Can see I will be spending a decent amount of time here for sure.

Every weekend I like to try cooking something new. Throughout the week my attention and energy levels are typically drained elsewhere. For this week, I’m going to be making a lemon cake (pretty simple) and maybe a beef dish (it’s been a very vegan/vegetarian week).

We always said we would wait until there was a shitty rainy day before we take the kids to the Science Center. Today is the day.

I always have a serious calm when I am pulling something together. My brain stops whirring around and settles in on the task at hand. I am actually working in Affinity Publisher rather than Pages for this project (had to switch) because the image heavy book I am working on is far easier to manage - maybe it’s because I haven’t worked out exactly how images work properly in the app.

Somehow we’re at the end of June. Slowly but surely I will have been in Canada for an entire year. It has been an incredible journey. Have I settled into life here? There are certain things that I absolutely love. There are some things that certainly make my eyebrows rise in surprise. No place on Earth is whole. Some places are better suited for you than others. I will say that I feel that I do ‘get’ this place. I understand where a lot of Canadians are coming from.

I do tend to love the colourful characters around the place (not to keen on the crazies that are found downtown…the social fabric should be able to care for these people better, but that is a whole other topic).

Every once in a while, I am surprised. Walking home, on a rainy afternoon, and a dude is walking his dog in an outfit that’s a cross between something from the Village People and a mankini. The confidence to do that is off the charts. Same walk, another dude without a shirt on, is running while hiding from the cars….

Another vegan meal.

The puppy industry in Canada is truly far reaching. Today I was reminded when I saw a dude carry two puppies and proceeded to give them a photoshoot around some water fountains. Selling the lifestyle. If it wasn’t big business I doubt so many people would be in on this.

The phone I had before this was an iPhone 6S. It had a button. It also had an aquamarine blue soft rubber case from Puro (an Italian outfit at the time). My new case feels like that case and somehow my muscle memory is mixing things as I aim for a home button. The brain can be easily tricked.

Sunday evening Pimms. Can totally get used to that.

Father’s Day banana bread.

After +4 years, I was forced to get a replacement cover for my phone. Feels strange considering I hold this object, every, single day. Opted for the closest thing to an official Apple case, without it being an official Apple case (with the stupid Apple tax).

The hardest thing for me as a parent is trying to teach a kid when then absolutely, positively have no intention of learning a god damn thing. In this case…shoelace. Please give me strength. And alcohol.

Patio coffee time.

Spent the afternoon with Ryan pottering around the garage (fixing bikes, recycling for the week, general clean-up), and was transported to my own childhood following my dad as he did his handyman impression (to varying degrees of success). Need to write about one of my favourite tools which has become my pocket knife. Use this thing all the time and really wonder how I managed previously without one.

This Jamie Tartt montage of his character arc is amazing. The music selection is masterful as well. Ted Lasso has been a great series and can’t wait to rewatch this series again.

🍦 Top Toronto Tip: Ice cream cone from Zuzus.

One of the simple pleasures that I was hoping to have when we moved to Toronto was the ability to have some external space. Even though the last few days have had forest fire smoke everywhere, tonight is much better.

There is a slight calm in the air along with a temperature that needs a hoodie and is pretty much perfect.

I am sitting outside on some new garden furniture I have had my eye on for a while now. Finally I get to sit outside, have a beer and chill. I have music playing softly, from a tiny little Mi speaker I bought in Dubai 5 years ago and that is surprisingly great.

In the background I can hear the ambient hum of Toronto streetcars doing their thing. Every once in a while I hear a dickhead in their car revving their engine.

Summer has arrived.

So. Much. Fun.

The editing process begins.

Finished reading: The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante 📚

Vision Pro. Super interesting technologies and ideas. Totally unmoved at even considering it or anything like it. For me, it’s akin to the Apple Watch, it solves a problem I don’t have, nor want to have.

It’s been a seriously long time since I was super excited to pick up a pencil and sketch. They are Corgan doodles but they have been seriously fun. Exploring and slowly uncovering something that has existed inside me for so long. Next stop will be to write some scripts - which I feel I need to make a equal evolution.

It feels great stepping away from the internet for a while. I’ve been devouring a book and sketching like crazy. It’s taken a year for my mind to settle…that’s what happens when you change countries for the umpteenth time I guess, but great to have my attention back.

Feeling inspired to revisit these characters. I’ve not drawn them in years.

This latest video on Sony phones by MKBHD is really on point. I’ve always been a big fan of Sony (and their Ericsson line of phone) and would happily get a dedicated camera phone (with no SIM card) if it really was $700.

🎸 One of my favourite album cover artwork in a loooong time.

I bought a KVM switch that looked great but effectively didn’t work properly. I replaced it with another switch that doesn’t have the same elegance in industrial design but does exactly what its supposed to. Reminded of the Steve Jobs quote:

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

In the 4½ years since I got my iPad Pro, I have never felt it struggle with anything that I have thrown at it…until today. Pulling together an image heavy book (currently clocking in at 88 pages and 120MB) is pushing it.

I’ve been putting together my next book, a collection of everything related to my comic strip Moon Racket! and I am absolutely shocked by the amount of material that I have created over the years (even though I’ve not touched these characters in years). Really looking forward to what the final package looks like. Will be working on the cover next and it should go to print pretty soon - apart from a new introduction and some commentary, there is little by way of editing, it’s all there.

🇱🇧 Lebanon
🇬🇷 Greece
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇶🇦 Qatar
🇹🇷 Turkey
🇯🇵 Japan
🇲🇾 Malaysia
🇮🇹 Italy
🇪🇸 Spain
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales
🇩🇪 Germany
🇨🇦 Canada
🇸🇾 Syria
🇴🇲 Oman
🇮🇨 Canary Islands
🇻🇦Vatican City
🇲🇹 Malta
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇺🇸 United States:

• California
• New York
• Florida
• Nevada
• Minnesota

Couple of notes:

1. The pandemic easily ‘robbed’ me of another 5 countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Poland) - work related visits that just never happened.
2. Now that I’m in North America, really looking forward to exploring this part of the world.
3. In many cases, I’ve been to several places in a country (at different times).

🔌 Power cut in the house today….looks like it’s something we can look forward to till the end of the year….damn.

A few weeks back I decided to go ‘cheap’ and got an HDMI switcher and a couple of Amazon basic HDMI cables. The intention was to create a good enough solution for switching my screen between my new Mac and work laptop. Needless to say, it did not go well, and I ended up having to scrap the solution for what I knew was the superior (but pricer) option to begin with (a KVM USB-C switcher). Reminded of the old adage:

A poor man can afford only the very best.

I am really loving the 3D analysis videos of lap comparisons in an F1 race. They offer a view of racing we have not seen before. The latest one from Monaco putting Verstappen’s lap against Alonso’s is easily one of the best I’ve seen.

I’ve always loved the sentiment.

Trying to explain the concept to the kids was fun.

Good riddance.

Some how this Baby Einstein shot for 8 years ago, on Dribbble has garnered 5300 views. Think I’ll release the full image and also put it up for sale as a print - I already have one in the kids room.

⚡️ It’s not every day that you get one of these - but I think I have the next phase of Stet in a hazy vision in front of me. Just need to put a little more polish to the idea.

I have to say that the news out of Spain and La Liga around the Vini Jr racism incident, is just so disheartening. The year is 2023, not 1923. The world has got the internet, electrical cars, iPhones and other truly incredible innovations that are meant to move humanity forward. And yet. And yet, here we are that a black man, one of the most exciting players in the game, is treated with absolute human disrespect. It’s just not good enough. When this happens, the match has to stop and the fans/team has to be properly punished. It’s just simply not acceptable in this day and age to be acting with such ignorance. Total ignorance when there is simply no excuse.

Great day out in the countryside for Stephanie and Tim’s wedding. First long drive in Canada (certainly not going to be the last). Also modern mapping technology makes the whole journey a hell of a lot less stressful. Make a wrong turn, no worries, rerouting and you’re good to go.

Some how I totally missed that this Toronto specific site exists - even though I was told about this site several times. Sometimes you just need sometime to settle in.

Life can be like a massive shopping carts. We fill it with experiences, products, people, memories, food, drink, laughter and sorrow. These items in our carts sometimes are easy to find and sometimes are hidden deep underneath a bunch of other crap we either didn’t need in the first place or that we used and have no need for. And this works across three dimensions. Physical, mind and digital. Managing this cart can either make our lives easier or more difficult. To make things easier we look for sensible defaults. These are knowing traits that address our current, immediate needs. Finding our sensible defaults means that we are not overwhelmed or distracted. Our cart is lighter.

At the start of our journey, our tastes are immature. We’ve not really had the time to sample things to see what we like and what we definitely don’t like. There is a period of exploration that precedes settling on the thing that makes the most sense, most of the time, for the time. Life doesn’t need to be heavily spiced. Equally when it does not have enough spice, it becomes bland. Sensible defaults let you reach a sweet spot of balance.

A sensible default is a the steady state we reach after experimentation. As we grow older, we begin to settle into place. Our go to wine. Our favourite type of slipper. The optimal notebook. Sensible defaults allow us to spend less time feeling cheated by something that is not meant for us.

🚗 Long weekend begins soon…however just got our rental for the weekend. Really looking forward to exploring Canada a little more beyond the GTA.

Looking forward to Micro Camp 2023. I had a lot of fun contributing to the event last year and really looking forward to what all the speakers have lined up.

I play the NY Times Mini Crossword Puzzle every day. Unlike Wordle which can frustrate me this 2min interaction is a joy.

🍻 Great Lakes Brewery Saltana Solero is another great find.

🏕️ First time I drop the kids off for their Cubs Scouts and Beaver…what do you call these, meets? Have 45min to kill, so grab a beer at the local pub. You know what, I can get used to this. Next time will bring my notebook.

💪 Alright, remember how I said having no breakfast was surprisingly easy? A week in and it is getting tougher. I guess as the body has started to eat into all the various reserves, it’s starting to get a little harder every day. Having said all of that, I am still holding strong.

The animals around me always remind me that I’m not in Europe or the Middle East any more. The squirrels and raccoons, but mostly the birds. Amazing plumage here in North America.

I’ve always, always, look at me, always, had a dislike of the word ‘blog’. It’s like one extra letter in the word bog. It’s a made up word that doesn’t sound very nice. I appreciate I might be on an island with this, and that’s ok.

Rather, I like to think of this site as a catalogue of moments in my life. The more you read all the different definitions the word moment describes, the more apt it feels:

An appropriate time for doing something; an opportunity. A very brief period of time. Importance.

I share these moments online.
I share them with the world.
Mostly they go unheeded.
Every once in a while there is some traction.
But mostly they go unnoticed.
And that’s ok.
Thoughts, ideas and interests that captured my imagination.
Even for a few seconds.
A few minutes.
A few moments.

Why isn’t Bard available in Canada or the EU? I thought I had messed up a setting in my Google account. Turns out no. This is a thing.

Today was pretty tiring…but good fun with the kids.

JPL’s New Snake Robot is such an innovative approach to terrain exploration. Just couldn’t help smiling watching this video.

It is shocking to me how quickly your body can get used to less food. For years breakfast has been an absolute necessity…but actually it’s not been at all, it’s been a luxury. I thought I would get headaches and not be able to function properly. Not so much. Around 1pm I start to feel the hunger and then I’m good all the way till dinner time. The knock-on is that I don’t feel hungry for the rest of the day either, mainly because my body understands that it’s not going to be getting anything until it’s time.

I remember when I was a Cub Scout, I loved it. Loved collecting the badges, I loved the manual, the activities. I really think Zane is going to love it. Next level.

Zane’s having a tough time at school. A few months ago we decided that he was becoming obsessed with his Switch, to the point that he wasn’t talk about anything else. The unintended consequence being that he got his old interest in animals and nature, but all his existing friends don’t have that interest themselves. And so he feels alone with his interest that nobody else is interested in.

My overall health has stagnated, so I’m trying something a little different with my diet.

No snacking, no sweets, no seconds remains a thing - as always it is in the evenings that I sometimes falter. My mornings however will have no breakfast, just water and a cup (or two) of coffee. First meal of the day is lunch. Break-fast?

Also, I’m getting onto the exercise bike for 10-15min in the morning for some cardio, followed by a 30min walk to work (and back again in the evening).

☕️ I hate running out of coffee. My issue is that I now have access to good quality stuff from Latin America, only a few clicks away. I just need to be organised enough to order in advance. Otherwise I am stuck with ok-ish stuff from the supermarket (for nearly the same price).

⚽️ A great Ted Lasso episode. This year has been a little miss more than hit, but hopefully going to end strong.

Have fallen out of so many habits at the moment. Some of them like journaling, reading and gratitude writing are things that really help my mental fortitude. The issue has been primarily about settling my mind. 10 months into our Canadian adventure I can say things are slowly settling down a little.

Witnessed the most, un-Canadian thing today. On the intersection in front of our house a man in his early 20s was going absolutely ape-shit. It wasn’t clear to me what the issue was, but I can only imagine he was hit by a car, which drove away. It ruined his bike and the man’s day unravelled from there. Beyond the effing and blinding, he would proceed to pick up his bike and start attacking all the oncoming traffic in a fit of pure rage. I totally felt sorry for him until he started attacking every car that passed by.

Drivers and cars that clearly had nothing to do with his incident, but at that stage, he didn’t care.
His initial rage may have been justified.
He’s subsequent reactions were not.
The whole incident was unfortunate and overall disheartening.

Tuna samich on a ridiculously fresh baguette.

Aqueux are high quality dynamic wallpapers based on a classic Mac images. Currently loving Ventura which I am using across my devices.

There’s now going to be a Gran Turismo Movie? First the Mario movie, then Tetris, now this. What next? Shinobi?

Last week I noticed my relatively new Apple keyboard had a sticky ‘0’ button. I yanked it out like an animal and damaged it. I think proceeded to watch some videos to see what was going on and ordered a replacement. Fast forward a week and the replacement didn’t work properly….and then cmd+c stopped working. So I’ve gone and ordered myself a Satechi Slim X2 keyboard, that not only is backlit, comes in space grey, but is also cheaper than the current Apple offering - which I really don’t like.

☕ Didn’t know that there was a Specialty Coffee Expo (in hindsight, of course there is). Good excuse to visit Chicago for the first time.

🥘 After several years now of cooking regularly, I have only now begun mixing things up a little and combining techniques and flavours to create something I know that I will enjoy. Nothing crazy complicated, but packed full of flavour.

Pressure can burst a pipe, or pressure can make a diamond.
— Robert Horry

I’m pretty sure I did TCAF wrong. Even though a massive comic fan for years, while I have been out of the loop for a while now, I want to say that I know a fair few indie creators…except honestly I was pretty lost in this convention. I would not be able to tell if the person behind the booth was helping the creator or was the creator themselves.

We ended up getting a few books that Zane liked and a poster for me. I would have really loved to spend a little more time walking the floor, but it wasn’t really for the kids (even though the kids section was pretty fun, Ryan was totally bored).

TCAF 2023. Soo packed. Can’t say it was an elegant experience (not that I was expecting one), but hoped for a little bit more…space. Having said that the Toronto Reference Library is a good venue, just too many people.

Somehow I have ended up putting my dropbox folder of notes on the side and concentrating my efforts on putting everything into the Notes.app. I’m following the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive). The reason for Notes is the fact that I can put photos and pdfs straight into the note itself. Also adding todos and tables is infinitely easier and less cumbersome than plain text. The main disadvantage is that it doesn’t seem to be as mobile as I would like, but if I am actually using the notes and getting all my threads organized, it’s a small price to pay.

So not on Toronto. Just not right.

I have to hand it to the DayOne development team. Once you get all your entries into the app, it is super snappy to get through everything. Speed and snappiness in a piece of software is an incredible feature to have, especially one that is dealing with a large database of information.

Currently going through my 2685 entries and trying to get them printed out into yearly books.

I hope that my site lasts for a while, but then again it might not. Better to try and capture these thoughts and life in one nice place that I can look back on in the future. Truly wish I had this 20 years ago when I started experimenting on the web.

Stop Using Custom Web Fonts. Needless to say I don’t agree with Brian at all on this point. There are many reasons to use a custom web font and it has nothing to do with ‘brand’.

Really looking forward to my first TCAF this weekend.

On my way to work I occasionally walk past a young woman with a Tim’s cup of coffee. It’s always on the same strip of road at around the same time. Today I saw her baby bump for the first time and wanted to say, ‘Hey, congratulations’, but stopped shy of being the weirdo in the big city.

I get out of the house and hear a bird. Looked everywhere but couldn’t see where it was coming from. Then I look waaay up.

Tucker Carlson Is Dismissed From Fox News. See now that is funny. Fox getting taken down by a voting machine company. Go for blood guys.

Never has there been a better example of unlocking than today. Rain. Hail. Sunshine. All in one day. All this means is that spring is around the corner.

Well that is mega annoying. I totally messed up my website design by pressing the wrong button. I’ve been able to salvage some of the code (but damn, should have made a backup of all the html). Teaches me.

Went to arguably one of the worst stores in Canada, The Beer Store. The logo is awful. It’s a government run entity. It stinks of stale beer. There are usually 5-10 people loitering around there (not really buying anything). Some people are returning bottles and getting cash for them. You don’t go there for the experience.

The only reason I go there (occasionally) is for the Esterella Damm that you can only buy in this store. Except this time was different. I got to the front and asked for my Estrella, to my horror, they don’t stock it in this branch. Dejected, I started to think about what I could get instead.

I said, ‘What about a strong IPA?’ The guy responded, ‘Now you’re talking my language.’

And thus began a little education of Canadian IPAs from someone who loved beer and was super knowledgeable about the subject. Reminded in part of going and hanging around the comic book store with people that loved the medium. The whole interaction took maybe 2 minutes, but I gained a damn good beer and some additional knowledge. Finding those people that can actually help you is such a rarity these days.

That was fast. Moving all my articles and drawings into Pages for the new BEC Volume was super simple. Without having to think about all the formatting and what it will look like (because I did all that work for volume 1) means getting a working draft took less than a week. Now the hard graft of editing begins, but the raw materials are there to be polished.

Easily one of the things that I have missed the most in my wilderness away from the Mac is the use of the Web Inspector tool on Safari. Doing anything on the web without that thing is pure misery.

Cluny at the Distillery District. Wonderful ambiance. Food was decidedly meh. Post pandemic I am increasingly more critical about restaurant food.

Kapow! IPA by Rainhard Brewing Co. is my favourite Canadian beer. It would have been pretty freaky if they’d called it Kaapow (username I use when kaa is taken).